Rihanna Hand Tattoo: Traditional Maori Marking Leaves Singer Wincing in Pain (VIDEO)
Rihanna recently got a new hand tattoo while taking a break from her Diamonds world tour in New Zealand.
The Bajan pop star, 25, was recorded getting a Ta moko, which is traditional Maori body marking, on her right hand and the video footage went viral on social networking sites. The moko, which is permanent, is said to be different to a standard tattoo as the skin is carved using a chisel as opposed to punctured with a needle.
Rihanna is seen grimacing throughout the 2:17-minute video as her hand is repeatedly carved using a uhi (chisel) and mallet. The end result left the singer's hand covered entirely in small groves and fans took to Twitter to weigh in.
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"Rihanna's tattoo looks so painful! OMG! Looks awesome though, I love it!" one tweet read.
"This sounds so creepy but rihanna had the most beautiful hands ever why did she go and get that ugly tattoo," another tweet read.
"Rihanna's hand looks amazing. She is so creative and unique, bless her," one fan wrote.
While it is uncommon for non-Maori's to get the Moko, Rihanna is among a number of celebrities including by Robbie Williams and Ben Harper, who have undergone the sacred procedure.
In addition to the unique new hand art, Rihanna has at least 20 tattoos including a Maori design on her right hand, a Goddess Isis tattoo on her chest area, a gun shaped Falcon on her ankle and more. The "Diamonds" singer previously explained the meaning behind her Falcon tattoo during an interview with Oprah.
"I have a falcon here, which is an Egyptian falcon. It is supposed to stand for God," Rihanna told Oprah.
"Back in the day, they would carve into the walls and they would carve a falcon because they didn't have another way of saying a king in the sky," she explained.
Rihanna is expected to wrap up her Diamonds world tour in November.
