Can you identify this Tahitian tiki for me? - General Tiki

B bigbrotiki Tiki Socialite Tiki Island, above the Silverlake Joined: Mar 25, 2002 Posts: 11621	B bigbrotiki Posted posted on Fri, Dec 10, 2004 5:59 PM Well yes, but a tourist Tiki nevertheless. Maybe carved en masse by Marquesan carvers for Tahitian tourists in the 60s, O.A. either accquired one and copied it, or ordered them in bulk from there. The tourist carvings from the islands used to be so much better craftsmanship in the 40s, 50s and 60s. Now with the mass-produced pieces being farmed out to Asian manufacturers they resemble more and more what Paul Theroux called "nameless pieces of hacked wood". A good example is the famous novelty "native girl nut cracker" with the hands behind the head and the legs as the nutcracking device (Ha ha, what a gass!). I have one that must be about 50 years old. It is carved in dark wood, the face has elegantly balanced features, and the breasts are well rounded and yummy looking. But most of what I see of this specific item out there is poor, disproportianate whittle wood. [ Edited by: bigbrotiki on 2004-12-10 18:03 ]

Well yes, but a tourist Tiki nevertheless. Maybe carved en masse by Marquesan carvers for Tahitian tourists in the 60s, O.A. either accquired one and copied it, or ordered them in bulk from there.
The tourist carvings from the islands used to be so much better craftsmanship in the 40s, 50s and 60s. Now with the mass-produced pieces being farmed out to Asian manufacturers they resemble more and more what Paul Theroux called "nameless pieces of hacked wood".

A good example is the famous novelty "native girl nut cracker" with the hands behind the head and the legs as the nutcracking device (Ha ha, what a gass!). I have one that must be about 50 years old. It is carved in dark wood, the face has elegantly balanced features, and the breasts are well rounded and yummy looking. But most of what I see of this specific item out there is poor, disproportianate whittle wood.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki on 2004-12-10 18:03 ]

Post #130283 by bigbrotiki on Fri, Dec 10, 2004 5:59 PM