Pauline-Rose has painted a design taught to her by Willington Uruhé, the Paramount Chief of Ömie men, who adopted her when she was a small girl. The design is called...
Pauline-Rose has painted a design taught to her by Willington Uruhé, the Paramount Chief of Ömie men, who adopted her when she was a small girl. The design is called ve'i ija ahe - the bone of the lizard. It is a traditional Sahuoté clan (Samorajé sub-clan) design.
The spots are a design called sabu ahe representing the spots which can be seen on the sides of a wood-boring grub. This grub is sacred to Ömie people as it plays an important part within the creation story of how Huvaimo (Mount Lamington) came to be volcanic. It is a traditional sore (tattoo design) which was most commonly tattooed running in one line under both eyes. Today it is applied to Ömie people's faces for dance performances with natural pigments.