Joseph Banks was a naturalist aboard Captain Cook’s ship, the HMS Endeavor. The research vessel was on a mission to the Pacific Ocean which covered Australia and New Zealand. Banks noted in his journals the Polynesian tattoo designs he personally witnessed. He mentioned that the tattoos of the indigenous people of these islands on the Pacific were based on the humor and disposition of an individual.

Like the Polynesians, the indigenous people of the Philippines, Japan, and Taiwan have their distinct body art culture. The intricate designs of the tattoos have meanings that depend on the traditions of each culture and the status of the tattoo owner in society. The culture of body art still lives in these regions and it has spread in various parts of the world as well. There are now a lot of imaginable designs of tattoo people can choose from. As Joseph Banks have noted, it still depends on a person’s humor and disposition.

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