From August 1897 to February 1898, the German physician, ethnologist, explorer, Americanist, and writer Karl von den Steinen (1855-1929) traveled to the Marquesas Islands in the South Seas on behalf of the Ethnological Relief Committee, chaired by Valentin Weisbach, to create as complete a collection as possible for the Berlin Museum of Ethnology. His journey to the Marquesas was made by sailing ship, departing from San Francisco. Due to the prohibitions imposed by the then French occupation and missionaries, tattoo art, religious ceremonies, dances, songs, and drumming were long forbidden. Karl von den Steinen documented the motifs of body painting of the older residents, who were often tattooed from head to toe, as well as the meanings of the various motifs. Based on interviews with the older inhabitants, he made extensive records.