Pae

Design Story

This Polynesian band tattoo was prepared for Marcel to celebrate the birth of his first daughter.
The turtle representing family includes him and his wife on the shell as a couple, holding and protecting a frangipani flower for their daughter, with her birth date below as a maorigram and waves for Aquarius above.
A koru next to the frangipani symbolizes new life while the flax leaves are for family unity.
The front flippers are fish hooks for prosperity and the back flippers are tiki hands for protection.

Their union is also protected by the tiki and by the hammerhead shark representing Marcel, chasing his goals (the compass for direction) to reach his current position (the sun above, with a mere in its center).
The octopus tentacles symbolize adaptability and tenacity along this voyage (represented by the row of birds and the flight of the albatross).

The waves on top represent his love for water, with fish and a Marquesan cross to symbolize the underwater world and the harmony and balance that it gives him.

The row of people at the base with a net in the center symbolizes the community he serves, and the stepping stones below are for achievements and for the stability he gives them.

The Tahitian word pae indicates the stones or blocks put under to fix and support the joints of a floor for stability.

The colored image below shows the main elements within the tattoo: