Punihele

Design Story

Punihele is a Marquesan tattoo that we prepared for Bronte to extend one he got while in Tahuata.

You can check the first extension here.

We now extended it further down the arm with a new band where we used a turtle as a symbol of the navigator below the elements representing his voyage, and added two family members below Kena and Tefio.

Bonito tail and yam leaf are symbols of prosperity, and the tiki eyes are for protection while shark teeth were added for strength and protection in water.

The use of elements with different sizes along the upper border helps disguise the connection between the two parts.

The following image shows with different colors the main elements of the tattoo: