Punihele

Design Story

This Marquesan style tattoo was prepared to extend Bronte's Punihele half sleeve and armband tattoo into a full sleeve.
We modified a few elements of the previous band to improve the integration and disguise the edges.

Two boats, one of which dismasted, represent when Bronte rescued another sailor from the waves during a storm (the crab is a symbol of protection and the centipede symbolizes fighting spirit). Several elements relate to details specific to this event.

The dancing flame represents tradition and new life to honor the tradition of never leaving people in difficulty alone at sea.
The tiki is a symbol of protection and connects this event with his previous job on the other side: to rescue people from danger (the moray eel).
Shark teeth and the hammerhead shark symbolize tenacity and strength doing his job.

The ipu on the back are a traditional way to symbolize ancestors and mana inherited while the fish hook symbolizes prosperity.

The bigger bird symbolizes voyages and safe return, and it recalls the ones on top of the shoulder, while the row of smaller birds represents his voyage with his partner (the checkered pattern near the wrist is a traditional way to show dedication to a partner).

Stepping stones close the tattoo at the wrist to represent all his achievements.

The colored image below helps identifying the individual elements: