Hawaiian boy with uke velvet painting - General Tiki

B bongofury Grand Member (6 years) Ventura County Joined: Oct 15, 2002 Posts: 1565	B bongofury Posted posted on Tue, Dec 11, 2007 7:08 PM If you read "Rascals In Paradise" by James Michener under the chapter "Leeteg The Legend" you will find references to his paintings selling for $5,000.00 in 1954 at the Davis Gallery in Honolulu. It may be possible that the painting by Erwin was selling for $500.00 since he was a "student of Leeteg". According to "Leeteg Of Tahiti" by John Turner, sign painter Bill Erwin claimed to have learned his velvet painting technique while working with Leeteg in Honolulu in 1935. As far as today's value, I think it just depends on who wants it. That "Hawaiian Beach Boy" was done by Leeteg from a from a photo by Honolulu photographer K.T. Tagawa, who tried to sue for copyright infringement and managed to collect a whopping $1.00 for his trouble. Not sure how many "originals" Leeteg did, but he copied himself several times. Davis Gallery also had affordable copyrighted reproductions available. From an undated catalog: 14X11 Velvetone Masterpieces Hand Painted (Japan) reproductions in Bamboo Frame-$30.00 postpaid. 16X20 color prints on velvet-type paper unframed-$16.00 or $32.00 in Bamboo Frame postpaid. 14X11 Black & White photographic reproductions in Bamboo Frame-$16.00 postpaid. Erwin must have also made more than one copy of this ukelele kid as I have seen it with the boy in a blue lava-lava instead of red. I think the value for men and kids is much less than the topless or nude maiden. There are other excellent velvet artists whose paintings seem to be actual "one of a kind" originals. Hope that helps. Formikahini, the signature is Lavisse who also copied himself as I have seen one like the pictured painting from the Kahiki, but it had a little less detail.

If you read "Rascals In Paradise" by James Michener under the chapter "Leeteg The Legend" you will find references to his paintings selling for $5,000.00 in 1954 at the Davis Gallery in Honolulu. It may be possible that the painting by Erwin was selling for $500.00 since he was a "student of Leeteg". According to "Leeteg Of Tahiti" by John Turner, sign painter Bill Erwin claimed to have learned his velvet painting technique while working with Leeteg in Honolulu in 1935.

As far as today's value, I think it just depends on who wants it. That "Hawaiian Beach Boy" was done by Leeteg from a from a photo by Honolulu photographer K.T. Tagawa, who tried to sue for copyright infringement and managed to collect a whopping $1.00 for his trouble. Not sure how many "originals" Leeteg did, but he copied himself several times. Davis Gallery also had affordable copyrighted reproductions available. From an undated catalog: 14X11 Velvetone Masterpieces Hand Painted (Japan) reproductions in Bamboo Frame-$30.00 postpaid.
16X20 color prints on velvet-type paper unframed-$16.00 or $32.00 in Bamboo Frame postpaid.
14X11 Black & White photographic reproductions in Bamboo Frame-$16.00 postpaid.

Erwin must have also made more than one copy of this ukelele kid as I have seen it with the boy in a blue lava-lava instead of red. I think the value for men and kids is much less than the topless or nude maiden. There are other excellent velvet artists whose paintings seem to be actual "one of a kind" originals. Hope that helps.

Formikahini, the signature is Lavisse who also copied himself as I have seen one like the pictured painting from the Kahiki, but it had a little less detail.

Post #349012 by bongofury on Tue, Dec 11, 2007 7:08 PM