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Home Tattoos 10 Best Arm Polynesian Tattoo Ideas That Will Blow Your Mind!

10 Best Arm Polynesian Tattoo Ideas That Will Blow Your Mind!

by Jamie Wilson
Best Arm Polynesian Tattoo Ideas

Looking for some cool and trendy designs for your arm? Don’t you worry! We have some amazing arm Polynesian tattoo designs perfect for you!

Arm Polynesian Tattoo
@tavita_mose_tattoos via Instagram

Polynesian arm tattoos have a rich legacy and deep meaning no matter what type of design you choose and where you place it on the body.

Polynesian tattoos have a great cultural significance and in a more traditional sense because they represent a story of warriors who won battles and achieved great milestones. If you are looking to make a design that has a great significance in your culture, these types of designs are perfect for you.

Polynesian tattoo has become a very popular type of art since the time it was originated in countries like Tonga and Samoa. In these countries, the great Warriors decorated their bodies with tattoos. Most of these tattoos were made on the waist or the knees or arms of the people. Most of these designs had a tribal pattern origin metric pattern to it, for example, They had triangular shapes, bands, or spaces in the middle, filled with solid black ink. Not only was the tattoos famous for their significance in the Polynesian culture, the priests of the Polynesian people were responsible for creating these tattoos.

The Polynesian Triangle, which is a very famous type of body art, was discovered by Captain James Cook. Captain Cook was also the reason why these tattoos became extremely popular in Europe. The existence of these tattoos was confirmed by James Banks, who was Captain Cooks companion and a naturalist in a book written by him. According to his stories, when Captain Cook returned to Europe from his travels in Polynesia, he told his countrymen about these tattoos and the design process. These designs soon gained a lot of popularity and became a trend.

If you are looking for some cool and trendy Polynesian arm tattoos, we have got a list of some amazing designs curated for you. Checkout the tattoos below and select your favorite one for your next body art.

Polynesian Tattoo Design

Polynesian Tattoo Design
@kiti_ta_tatau via Instagram

There are several Polynesian tribes like the Cook Islanders, Tahitian, Hawaiians, Maori, and many more. The strikes include people who are a part of the South East Asian culture. Most of these people like to get tattoos on their bodies these days to honor their culture and tribe. Every tribe had a design of their own. These designs generally included different types of shapes and colours that filled an entire portion of the body. The most common placement of these tattoos is on the arm as a sleeve. This particular design starts on the shoulder near the neck of the person and goes down the entire arm till the wrist. It contains different shapes, all made in black ink. These tattoos look extremely cool and trendy.

Elegant Polynesian Tattoos

Elegant Polynesian Tattoos
@d.russ.tattoo via Instagram

This particular design is another version of a Polynesian tattoos. Instead of covering the entire arm with different shapes, the tattoo artist here has made an elegant design that starts from the shoulder and goes down to the rest of the person. There are elegant gaps in the middle that add to the element of the status. The entire tattoo has been made with black ink. This tattoo is a significant way of honoring ones culture and tribe. In the ancient times, a warrior used to get such tattoos, However, now everybody can get these tattoos to honor their heritage. Although this design has been placed on the arm like a sleeve, you can get it anywhere on the body and it will still look as elegant.

Polynesian Tribal Tattoos

Polynesian Tribal Tattoos
@best_polynesian via Instagram

Unlike the other tattoo designs, this one only covers the forearm of the person. It has beautiful shapes and designs in it, all made with black ink. The design near the elbow looks like a sharks teeth because of its triangular pointy edges. This is one of the most classic Polynesian designs as it is a way of honoring their tribes. These tattoos usually take more than one setting to complete. If you want, you can make this design on the entire arm so that it looks more appealing. Once they completely healed, they look extremely beautiful and trendy.

Polynesian Ornamental Tattoo

Polynesian Ornamental Tattoo
@best_polynesian via Instagram

One of the main reasons why Polynesian tattoos are extremely popular is because they are aesthetically pleasing. Although these designs are popular among men and women, mostly men prefer to get such designs and it is not only because they have a cultural significance, it is also because they look extremely bold and beautiful. When you look at these Polynesian tattoos, they’re all about harmony and balance. This balance does not have to be only maintained within people. It is also within the nature and the light and darkness. Please, tattoos are extremely special. This particular tattoo also starts at the shoulder of the person and goes down the entire arm like asleep. The tattoo artist has used thick, bold strokes of black ink to complete this design.

Polynesian Arm Band Tattoo

Polynesian Arm Band Tattoo
@tattooprimus via Instagram

Polynesian tattoos have a lot of symbols and elements in their designs. The overall view of the symbols are that the Polynesians believe that there is harmony in nature and a man is also a part of nature. These tattoos depict balance and the bond between living things and non-living things. They also signify the bond between natural elements like the sea and the earth.

This design is a little different from the other Polynesian tattoo. It does not cover the entire arm like a sleeve tattoo. Instead, it is just a band placed on the forearm of the person. The main element of this design is the symbol of the Hannunvaakuna. This design is a symbol that keeps away the evil spirits and brings every person good luck. The tattoo artist has made the entire design in strokes of black ink. If you want, you can add other elements to this design as well.

Polynesian Arm Sleeve Tattoo

Polynesian Arm Sleeve Tattoo
@temata_antoine via Instagram

This Polynesian arm tattoo has been made with a combination of several different intricate symmetrical patterns and layouts. The flowing style of this design makes it very pleasing aesthetically, and it also enhances the parts of the body. Not only do the statues have a great cultural significance, they also tell a story about the history and mythology of these tribes.

This particular design is a wonderful body art that is placed on the entire arm of the person. It consists of several different symmetrical shapes and circles made with black and grey ink. The tattoo artist has used fine line walk and dot work art to complete this design. If you are looking for cool and trendy design, this full set is something that you should definitely consider.

Arm Polynesian Tattoo Design

Arm Polynesian Tattoo Design
@totemikoh via Instagram

Instead of going for the traditional symmetrical designs for the Polynesian arm sleeve tattoo, this person has gone for different elements that make up the entire sleeve. They have made elements like the koi fish, a dragon, trees, flowers to cover the entire arm of the person. This entire design has been made with strokes of black ink. Each tattoo in this design has a personal story behind it. It can represent a persons personal status or can relate to the history of an individual. According to the wearer, this design is a mark of the Iberian Peninsula and its cultural heritage. This design starts from the shoulder and goes down to the wrist and each tattoo is different from one another.

Polynesian Arm Tattoo

Polynesian Arm Tattoo
@liberationtattooshop via Instagram

This particular design is another one that consists of symmetrical shapes all over. Apart from these shapes, there also thick areas which are covered in black. This adds to the element of the entire design. In the middle part of the design, near the elbow, there are some pointy shark teeth like shapes, which looks very classy. This design is also copied near the wrist. The tattoo starts on the shoulder and goes down to the wrist. If you are looking for some simple yet cool designs that are going to highlight your heritage. Then this is something that you should definitely consider.

Simple Polynesian Tattoos

Simple Polynesian Tattoos
@korotangi_art8 via Instagram

This design is also known as a Ta Moko, which reflects on an individual ancestry. Anyone who is passionate about their history can get these tattoos, which belong in the Maori culture, which is also a part of the Polynesian tradition. If you are concerned about how these designs will look or which shapes you should get, you can consult a Ta Moko specialist artist.

This particular design is extremely simple and has been placed on the backside of the forearm. It starts from the elbow and goes down to the wrist and the back of the hand. The outline of this tattoo is made with thin strokes of black ink, and the inside has been made with grey. If you are looking for a simple design that marks your Maori tradition, this design is something that you can definitely go.

Polynesian Cultural Tattoo

Polynesian Cultural Tattoo
@mokokitua via Instagram

This is a simple and elegant design that is a part of the Polynesian culture. This tattoo covers the entire arm like a sleeve. The artist has added a lot of shapes and designs in this tattoo to make it look more appealing. The outline of this design has been made with thick strokes of black ink and the inside has been filled with black ink in line work and dot work art.

If you are looking for a tattoo that will make a very good first impression, then these Polynesia arm tattoos are something you can consider. These designs may look like they need a lot of commitment. Therefore, you can ask your tattoo artist to make you a temporary design and then converted into a permanent one later on. If you want to explor more designs, you can also check out –

  • Polynesian Turtle Shell Tattoo
  • Polynesian Maori Tattoo
  • Polynesian Chest Tattoo
  • Polynesian Torso Tattoo
  • Ethnic Boho Polynesian Tattoos

Still looking for inspiration, then checkout this blog post about polynesian tattoo ideas

feature image from Pinterest

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