Tattoo Traditions of Hawai'i: Original Drawings by Jacques Arago

John Dominis and Patches Damon Holt Gallery

August 23­–November 5, 2006

JACQUES ARAGO Born France, active Hawai'i 1790-1855 Irini, femme des Iles Sandwich  (Irini, Woman of the Sandwich Isles), 1819 Ink wash on paper Gift of Frances Damon Holt in memory of John Dominis Holt, 1996 (25,826)

Jacques Etienne Victoire Arago (1790-1855), the official artist on the French vessel Uranie under the command of Louis de Freycinet, was the most prolific artist to visit the Hawaiian Islands. Captain Freycinet's journals reveal that Arago was an ideal shipmate: "No one onboard proved to be neither more patient, more bold, nor more intelligent, either, to face storms, or to endure the cruelest deprivations." Arago also seemed to have been well received by the Hawaiians he encountered. In addition to sketching portraits on the spot, he often entertained with juggling and magic tricks. He spent the majority of his days ashore, a fact evidenced not only in his journals but in the large number of illustrations he created. Over forty original Arago drawings were donated to the Honolulu Academy of Arts by Mrs. Frances Damon Holt in memory of John Dominis Holt in 1995-96.

Although the Uranie was only in the Hawaiian waters for three weeks, it was a critical point in time. The Uranie arrived in Hawai'i in August of 1819, just three months following the death of Kamehameha, yet prior to the arrival of missionaries in March of 1820. The kapu system, a complex set of prohibitions that governed nearly all aspects of  the social order and daily life of both commoners and ali'i, was rapidly disintegrating. The crew of the Uranie witnessed the chaos and bereavement that engulfed the Hawaiian people, particularly at Kawaihae and Kailua on Hawaii's Kona coast, where the Uranie first anchored (coincidently the birthplace and primary residence of the recently deceased chief). A number of the individuals portrayed by Arago are missing a front tooth and bear circular burn marks, both self-inflicted signs of mourning.

Arago depicted ordinary scenes and activities as well-- the beating of tapa and the process of tattooing. The clothing, hairstyles and headdresses during this period are also of interest. These drawings are a phenomenal resource for body ornamentation, particularly tattoo motif and placement, common during the first quarter of the nineteenth century.Numerous illustrations depict both traditional and introduced imagery. One of Arago’s more colorful illustrations depicts a Hawaiian gentleman wearing a cut-away tuxedo tailcoat with the traditional loincloth or malo. Hawaiians were fascinated with things European, particularly certain ornate styles of clothing. The image tattooed on the right thigh is a musket—perhaps by wearing a thing so powerful, one could gain its attributes. The calf and inner leg, on the other hand, bear traditional motifs. Also, the side of the head is shaved, revealing tattoo marks.

JACQUES ARAGO Born France, active Hawai'i 1790-1855 Iles Sandwich - Manier dont les Naturels se Tatouent (Tattooing, Sandwich Islands) Graphite and ink wash on paper Gift of Frances Damon Holt in memory of John Dominis Holt, 1995 (25,706)

Among the traditional tattoos Arago depicted are vertical designs placed on the inner leg, starting at the ankle and culminating at the ma'i (genitals). Genealogy, fertility, and therefore, ma'i were of great importance to Hawaiians. As Kawena Pukui wrote: "These not only provided great pleasure, they made each person a progenitor, a creative link in the long and mystic chain from 'aumakua on through the flesh and blood offspring of the infinite future. And so . . . the genitals were both enjoyed and revered". The ma'i were emphasized in many aspects of culture. Men would often remove their malo before planting, as the creative power of the male member might ensure a fertile crop. The ma'i of both male and female ali'i were paid tribute to in mele (songs) and hula. Warriors would often include references to their manlihood in daunting chants directed at challengers. The tattoo on the inner leg could have served to emphasize the ma’i in a similar way to the warrior’s chants, drawing attention to the fecundity of the wearer. Or perhaps the vertically placed repetitious motifs could have signified the long link from ancestors to offspring that originate, like the design itself, from the ma’i.

The Hawaiian emphasis on fertility was also the reason for the popularity of the goat as a motif in tattoo. Hawaiians were not only fascinated with this intriguing new beast that was brought by the newcomers and given to the chiefs, they also admired the goat’s fecundity. Perhaps by wearing the goat one could enhance one’s own fruitfulness, or conceivably it was a means of flaunting his or her own reproductive abilities. Interestingly, the goat commonly appears in traditional placement. Arago, in several of his illustrations, depicted individuals tattooed with rows of small goats running vertically up the leg. In this placement, there is little doubt that the incorporation of the goat motif reinforced the emphasis on fertility and procreation.

Several of Arago's drawings show tattoo embellishing the piko or navel. The umbilical piko was also directly related to procreation and birthing. Complex ceremonies accompanied the cutting of the umbilical cord of an ali'i, particularly a first-born male. The stomach, or na'au, is also of great significance as it was thought to be the center of one's emotions, intellect, and character. It is only recently that the heart has come to hold the significance traditionally associated with na'au. Thus, it is not surprising that the navel bore tattoo marks.

In the process of publication, the illustrations from many early voyages saw drastic changes in the process of engraving the plates for publication. Eighteen rarely exhibited original Arago illustrations will shed new light on the customs of dress and tattoo in ancient Hawai’i.

                                                                                      --Tricia Allen

JACQUES ARAGO Born France, active Hawai'i 1790-1855 Owhyhee, 1819 - 'Aniheneho.  L'un des Premiers Officiers de Tahmahamah ('Anihenehoh, one of the first officers of kamehameha), 1819 Graphite, pen, and ink wash on paper Gift of Frances Damon Holt and in memory of John Dominis Holt, 1995 (25,703)