Aug 2003 Renewed interest in Maori culture has encouraged a resurgence in traditional Maori tattoos. The tattoos or ‘mokos’ originate back to pre-colonial times when they detailed ancestry lines and tribal affiliations. “It’s the art of kings,” states moko artist Inya Taylor. To take the pain of the moko is a defining moment in a young warrior’s life. As one Maori explains: “If it doesn’t look really painful every moron’s going to want one.”