Post #363846 by SilverLine on Wed, Feb 27, 2008 2:57 PM

On 2006-08-30 18:26, SilverLine wrote:
OK, so it likely isn't an OA carving. Anybody recognize this guy and/or the symbol carved into the back of him? He's about 9 feet tall and looks like he's spent his whole life indoors.

OK, I feel sorta dumb here quoting myself, but I have new information on this carving and I want to keep it together.

Someone I've known for years had info about this and it never dawned on me that she might know anything about it, but here goes.

Back in the mid to late 70's (and perhaps even before that) a Hawaiian man named Cyril "Sonny" Directo was carving tikis here in Kansas City. He used a lot of walnut and this is his signature logo. He carved other things as well, but is remember most for his tikis. He taught at Penn Valley Community college in the late 70's and was a graduate of the Kansas City Art Institute. He was employed for a time at the Harry S. Truman Library. A really interesting man, sadly now deceased. He even held spectacular luaus complete with pit-roasted hog. YES, here in Kansas City!

I'm going to try to dig up more on him and see if I can find more carvings by him.