Zealand - have tattooed their faces for centuries. The marks are called 'tà moko', and are etched with 'uhi' chisels instead of needles to leave grooves along with the ink. The pigment used was soot obtained from burning kahikatea, or white pine, sometimes mixed with kauri gum or soot from the oily koromiko (hebe) shrub. The true form is sacred, unique to each person. Ta moko reflects an individual's whakapapa (ancestry) and personal history. Traditionally, men received Mataora on their faces - as a symbol of nobility. As maori believe the head is the most sacred part of the body, facial tattoos have special significance.