Mai Kai - Tiki Archeology - General Tiki

B bigbrotiki Tiki Socialite Tiki Island, above the Silverlake Joined: Mar 25, 2002 Posts: 11621	B bigbrotiki Posted posted on Mon, Dec 10, 2007 11:09 PM What a great story of Polynesian pop archeology! Unearthing mint condition artifacts from their "cocoons"! And finding OVER 100 MOLDS of cloned South Sea ancestor art, that is like the opening of King Tut's tomb! I have to wait to get home from Africa til I can delve into my slide archives but I know I have some pics of the Mai Kai's interior garden. That "crude" Tiki you show first sure looks like a personal attempt at primitive art, but perhaps I will find it in my vintage primitive art book library, maybe HERE: That PNG spirit hook is so detailed, it might very well come from THE most influential book in mid-century Tiki style: "Oceanic Art", published in 1954 by Pantheon N.Y. http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?qwork=4795159&author=Hewicker%2C+Friedrich&browse=1&qsort=p&matches=5&cm_re=workslistingbuyused This book, with its full page, crisp black and white photos by Friedrich Hewicker was one the few books available at the dawn of the Tiki period. In fact, it was the name-giver to the fledgling Oceanic Arts in Whittier at that time. Consequently, quite a few pieces from their catalog were based on the photos in the book, which sometimes showed two views of a carving, facilitating more accurate copying in lieu of the original. And so, art copied from the book could be (and still can be) found in many Tiki Temples all over America. Note the irony: (As you might be able to tell by the photographer's name), the 1954 printing actually was the English edition of a GERMAN book, which was published before in Germany. What is it with those German photographer's and their influence on American Polynesian pop !!? :) The reason I am harping on this book's historic value is that, after Will was kind enough to seek my counsel on the correct coloration of the casts he was making, he has been sending me pics of his work, and I noticed that 90 % of these molds must have been made from carvings whose originals are pictured in that book! The timing fits perfectly, like I said, from the mid to the late 50s there were just a couple of these kind of books available as source material. Case in point: Got to page 150 of Tiki Modern: I took that B+W photo of the amazing Rarotongan Tiki from "Oceanic Art". (So are the photos of the Hawaiian drink bowl on page 60, and the Caroline Islands goddess in the first chapter...AND the B/W photo that was the base for the Mauna Loa menu cover in the menu chapter in the BOT). Now here is one of Will's casts: I already ordered a copy of the book to send to Will in appreciation of his work, to send to him when I get back home. Though he won't be able to tell the exact coloration of the pieces, (because all the photos are in black and white_, now the Mai Kai and its little helpers will have the correct lineage information for them, because all the plates have descriptions in the back of the book! When I get home, I will post a series of images from the book together with photos of their Poly pop "children". Here is one of a different spirit hook that I happen to have in my computer files. I think Oceanic Arts made a mask from it, does somebody own one and can post it here?: I wonder if it was George Nakashima who had the idea of having these molds made, or if it was the Thornton brothers. We cannot ask George or Gabe anymore, but maybe Miss Thornton remembers something?

What a great story of Polynesian pop archeology! Unearthing mint condition artifacts from their "cocoons"! And finding OVER 100 MOLDS of cloned South Sea ancestor art, that is like the opening of King Tut's tomb!

I have to wait to get home from Africa til I can delve into my slide archives but I know I have some pics of the Mai Kai's interior garden. That "crude" Tiki you show first sure looks like a personal attempt at primitive art, but perhaps I will find it in my vintage primitive art book library, maybe HERE: That PNG spirit hook is so detailed, it might very well come from THE most influential book in mid-century Tiki style:

"Oceanic Art", published in 1954 by Pantheon N.Y.
http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?qwork=4795159&author=Hewicker%2C+Friedrich&browse=1&qsort=p&matches=5&cm_re=works*listing*buyused

This book, with its full page, crisp black and white photos by Friedrich Hewicker was one the few books available at the dawn of the Tiki period. In fact, it was the name-giver to the fledgling Oceanic Arts in Whittier at that time. Consequently, quite a few pieces from their catalog were based on the photos in the book, which sometimes showed two views of a carving, facilitating more accurate copying in lieu of the original. And so, art copied from the book could be (and still can be) found in many Tiki Temples all over America.

Note the irony: (As you might be able to tell by the photographer's name), the 1954 printing actually was the English edition of a GERMAN book, which was published before in Germany. What is it with those German photographer's and their influence on American Polynesian pop !!? :)

The reason I am harping on this book's historic value is that, after Will was kind enough to seek my counsel on the correct coloration of the casts he was making, he has been sending me pics of his work, and I noticed that 90 % of these molds must have been made from carvings whose originals are pictured in that book! The timing fits perfectly, like I said, from the mid to the late 50s there were just a couple of these kind of books available as source material.

Case in point: Got to page 150 of Tiki Modern: I took that B+W photo of the amazing Rarotongan Tiki from "Oceanic Art". (So are the photos of the Hawaiian drink bowl on page 60, and the Caroline Islands goddess in the first chapter...AND the B/W photo that was the base for the Mauna Loa menu cover in the menu chapter in the BOT). Now here is one of Will's casts:

I already ordered a copy of the book to send to Will in appreciation of his work, to send to him when I get back home. Though he won't be able to tell the exact coloration of the pieces, (because all the photos are in black and white_, now the Mai Kai and its little helpers will have the correct lineage information for them, because all the plates have descriptions in the back of the book!

When I get home, I will post a series of images from the book together with photos of their Poly pop "children". Here is one of a different spirit hook that I happen to have in my computer files. I think Oceanic Arts made a mask from it, does somebody own one and can post it here?:

I wonder if it was George Nakashima who had the idea of having these molds made, or if it was the Thornton brothers. We cannot ask George or Gabe anymore, but maybe Miss Thornton remembers something?

Post #348821 by bigbrotiki on Mon, Dec 10, 2007 11:09 PM