Tattoo of Marangai

DESCRIPTION AND MEANING:

Alberto requested a Maori styled half sleeve where a turtle (the navigator) was joined to the idea of balance between four elements (fire, air, earth and water) and to a Maori warrior´s mask (valiance, tradition).

Every fin of the turtle represents one of the four elements, and the manaia around the turtle is a symbol of protection, the guardian angel, strictly connected to Nature.

A curiosity: typically the manaia is depicted with three fingers to symbolize the balance between earth, sea and sky. We added a fourth finger to symbolize fire.