13th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
The last tattoed woman

Ma Mya Moo was eight years old when she became a woman. She was tattooed all over her face. Three days of suffering and agony to cover her face with a pattern of circles and lines. A ritual held for generations by the Chin minority ethnic in Myanmar (Burma) and that it was abolished by the communist regime in the 60's. Ma Mya Moo is one of the latest tattooed women, survivors of the Chin ethnic group. Her history, her face will disappear when she dies.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 03.2015
Date Uploaded: 11.2015
Photo Location: Mrauk-U, Rakhine State , Myanmar
Camera: NIKON D800
Copyright: © María Ibáñez