Legend has it the tatau was gifted to Samoa from goddesses, Taema and Tilafaiga, who taught the Samoan people the practice, entrusting the tatau would live on for centuries.
To this day the history of the Samoan tatau fascinates people.
But there were also failed attempts by early missionaries to have it prohibited as they came to accept that the tatau was a rite of passage.
While it is a breathtaking work of art, the tatau is a symbol of identity, heritage and service.