Kuwahara (anthropology, U. of London) examines the significance of tattooing in contemporary French Polynesian society. Unlike previous studies that have focused on tradition and ethnic identity, this scholarly volume addresses the discontinuity of the Tahitian tattooing tradition (which was suppressed in the 1830s and revived in the 1980s), as well as the spatiality of tattooing. After providing a history of Tahitian tattooing and an introduction to the practice and form of tattooing, the book looks at tattooing in terms of social relationships, ownership & transmission, festivals, identities, and the practice inside a prison. Distributed in the US by Palgrave Macmillan. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)