Meaning
Traditional Fijian women's tattoo of the thighs and lower back — womanhood and cultural belonging.
Polynesian Tattoo Motif
Traditional Fijian women's tattoo of the thighs and lower back — womanhood and cultural belonging.
Traditional Fijian women's tattoo of the thighs and lower back — womanhood and cultural belonging.
Dense curvilinear thigh bands.
Fijian Veiqia is shared across Polynesian visual traditions rather than belonging to one culture. It shows up as vocabulary a trained artist composes alongside culture-specific anchor motifs — read the motif library to see how the same symbol reads differently in each tradition.
For culture-by-culture sourced context on this and related motifs, see the factual reference guide or read the myths & misconceptions page for common errors this motif is often caught up in.
Traditional Fijian women's tattoo of the thighs and lower back — womanhood and cultural belonging.
Fijian Veiqia appears across several Polynesian traditions as shared visual vocabulary rather than belonging to a single culture.
Dense curvilinear thigh bands.
Placement, gender restrictions and lineage sensitivity vary by tradition. Read the culture guide for the motif's origin and work with an artist trained inside that tradition before committing to the design.
Related
Factual reference guide →
Sourced motif meanings, tools, and revival history across all eight traditions.
Myths & misconceptions →
Common inaccuracies about Polynesian motifs corrected with citations.
Every Polynesian motif →
Browse the full 124-motif library organised by culture.
See it in the gallery →
Historical photographs and plates showing this motif in context.
Placement guide →
Which body zones suit which motifs.
Design glossary →
Terms like mana, tapu and tatau, cross-linked to motifs.
Prefer photographs? Jump straight to the full gallery.
Pair this symbol with an artist trained inside the tradition it comes from.