My long-time fascination with oceanic art led me to travel to the Marquesas, hoping to obtain a glimpse of the subjective side of tiki. Tiki is omnipresent in this remote eastern Polynesian archipelago. As the Marquesas Islands are the primordial home of tiki, all six of the inhabited Marquesas Islands offer vast examples of tikis. Historic tikis are found on many archaeological sites scattered throughout the Islands. Tiki permeates virtually every aspect of material and spiritual culture in the Marquesas. In spite of the fluctuating legends, most tikis are believed to represent deified ancestors. Tiki is the zenith of Marquesan art that was reached shortly before or around the time of first contact with the Western world. After arriving on the island of Hiva Oa (the largest Marquesan island) by way of Tahiti, I caught a fishing boat to the most southerly and remote Marquesan island--Fatu Hiva. This intriguing island attained notoriety from Thor Heyerdahl's book, Fatu Hiva, Back to Nature, where Heyerdahl and his newlywed wife (after scouring the world for the most perfect earthly paradise) chose to lead a simplified existence, managing to live off of the land for a over a year. Pulling into Fatu Hiva's Hanavave Bay, acclaimed to be the most beautiful bay in the Pacific, I was completely enamored by the monolithic tiki shaped rock formations towering above the most verdant rain forest imaginable. Heyerdahl was indeed correct, Fatu Hiva is the Garden of Eden. Leaving Hanavave, a double rainbow appeared as our boat was escorted by a school of dolphins, seemingly showing us the route to Fatu Hiva's largest village, Omoa. Pulling ashore, I was mystified by the rock formations. One of these rocks which the villagers call Tana, looks identical to an Easter Island moai figure. That night, after another incredible sunset, I walked the shoreline pondering some of the mysteries surrounding tiki. Looking up, I was awestruck by the starlit skies, anchored by the Southern Cross. Further down the beach, I noticed some fishermen were effortlessly catching fish as quickly as they could bait their lines. To my surprise, one of these fishermen happened to be Mose. Recognizing me, he said, "If you want to eat, you have to fish." After telling him I was impressed at his versatility for being both the Mayor and a fisherman, Mose told me he was getting ready to sail a vaka to Hawaii. I hastily replied, "Do you know how to sail?" He laughed, looked at me as though I was less than astute, and said, "I'm Polynesian; of course, I can sail!" Every time I brought up the traditional art of tattooing, the conversation would turn to Felix Fii, an artist who lived on Tahuata, the smallest of the six inhabited Marquesas islands. Determined to meet this artist, I set off early on a rainy Sunday morning by chartering a fishing boat and made a slow departure from Hiva Oa to Tahuata. Along with the captain and his first mate, my traveling companions included Peperu's son Kurt, along with the four other village children. Although I was eager for this adventure, my excitement was overshadowed with a nervous feeling, as I knew I was on my way to get my first tattoo. The rain subsided as our boat moored at the harbor dock of the picturesquely quaint village of Vaitahu. Kurt and the children passengers accompanied me through the quiet town center, past the Catholic church that was recently built from local stone and wood, to the village outskirts. Arriving at a reticent bungalow nestled amongst a tropical garden, I was warmly greeted by Felix, who had a long dark ponytail and traditional Marquesas mata (eye) design tattooed on his upper back and shoulders. After telling him I had come to get a tattoo, he took me into his studio where I met his brother, Edwin, who had a Marquesan tiki tattooed over his heart, and his cousin, Joseph, who was carving a small tiki out of bone. Although these three were among the most highly acclaimed artists in all the islands, their demeanor was exceptionally friendly and readily approachable.

As Felix cleared his desk, I looked around for some "flash" books of his tattoo designs, but all I could find was a stack of surf magazines. Felix informed me that he did not have "flash" books, as he preferred custom tattoo designs. I told him I wanted a special tiki tattoo on my forearm and he took an ordinary ballpoint pen and sketched an elongated tiki face directly on my skin. The tiki had all the characteristics of a Marquesan tiki, except the top of the head was flat, not round. "The flat head is like a crown and symbolized royalty -- this tiki is a King!" he said. After sketching some designs, the bracelet was looking really good, except there was still a small open area remaining. He asked me what I wanted in this area. Rummaging through my sketch book for reference, the first design we came across was my crude drawing of a make-make petroglyph I had seen back on Fatu Hiva. We agreed this was the perfect design to complete the tattoo bracelet. Finishing the pen sketch, Felix pulled out a battery pack and hooked it up to a homemade tattoo machine that which consisted of an electrical motor modified from an electric razor. To this was fitted a hollow brass tube encased around a thinner brass tube to which he threaded a sterilized needle. I was concerned about this unorthodox homemade contraption; however, I trusted Felix and his outstanding reputation. Dipping the needle into some india ink he began the tattoo. I was astonished at how fine his line work was. The actual tattoo did not take as long as laying out the design. Because I knew the design was right and that he was such an experienced artist, I barely thought about the tinge of pain from the needle. When he finished, Kurt and the rest of the children ran into the studio, all exclaiming it was a great tattoo. I was very happy with it, but the line work was so fine I asked him if it should be filled in. Felix and his brother both emphatically claimed this was the perfect design and nothing more should be added, and now, after living with it awhile, I now know they were correct! After paying Felix a very modest price for such fine art work, we left Vaitahu village and circumnavigated the island. We stopped at Hanamoenoa, an incredibly unsullied beach. Since Felix advised me not to go in the sun or swim with the fresh tattoo, I simply sat in the shade of some palm trees and watched the children swim on the otherwise deserted pristine beach for the rest of the afternoon. On my last day in the islands, I visited several wood and stone carvers before picking up the vahine (female) tiki I commissioned from master carver Marcel Taupotini, three weeks prior. This tiki masterpiece was better than I had envisioned. My few island souvenirs--this vahine tiki, the make-make tattoo, and the tapa cloth designs will always remind me of my surrealistic adventures in the Marquesas--the primordial home of tiki.