Post #395940 by TabooDan on Tue, Jul 22, 2008 10:04 PM

Great photos that started up this topic and now the mug debate.
Menu's would probably be the best place to help track down the right information but they very seldom have dates on them and if they do, it may be just a copyright date. For a quick example, some Trader Vic's have a date of 1946 on them. That doesn't mean they were serving those drinks in those mugs back in 1946.

I don't want to ramble but give me a minute here. Go grab another drink now!

I think to really try and track the dates down of when the first mugs were used and where, we all really have to go through and hunt over old pictures, postcards, advertisements of bars and restaurants and really try to see what is in the background or how things were being served. At least with some of these postcards or photos you may have dates of mail or something else that can help you.

I would say the old authentic bars that were actually in the Pacific had the first 'Tiki' mugs. Probably the most underrated mugs (for their historical reference) out there are the hand carved Tiki mugs and Head/Face Lady/Man carved mugs. I believe these to be the first, as we would say, traditional mugs.

I also think that the REAL Bamboo, Coconut and maybe even the Pineapple mugs were the first to be drunk out of at some of these bars. The natives would have only had these to drink out of so I don't think they would have used anything else.

This one is an old bamboo mug very simply marked "Trader Vic's" on it in black letters. Maybe this is one of the first mugs that they used?

Now enter the travelling Westerners coming over to the Islands and paying close attention to how the natives lived, what they ate and what they used around their habitat.

The sophisticated Westerners thought it would be great and also exotic to have another piece of the tropical paradise back home if the common people could experience these things that they saw on the Islands. So why not import the Bamboo, Coconut and carved mugs along with all that rum and other decor!!

I don't think these mugs were carved into the exact Tiki mugs that you see for the tourist trade of yesterday and today. Those I do believe to be exaggerated to make them a little more fierce and interesting. They also wouldn't have had names of places on them but I do think the general idea is close. Example:

But I do believe, as can be seen in many Oceanic books, that mugs and bowls used for drinking were hand carved and had been for a long time. When actual drinking holes did start to pop up across the Islands (during the 1930's and 40's) they used variations of these mugs.

Once these real mugs were here in the West, they had a impact. People liked the fact they were actually one step closer to some savage in the jungle or using something that came from the Tropics (Which it probably didn't specifically). We were still Westerners though, and I don't think that everyone really liked drinking out of carved wood or coconuts. We liked the look but maybe wanted a little cleaner approach.
Maybe that too is why the big switch to ceramic. The options and possibilities with ceramic over wood/natural is also a hell of alot larger!! Restaurants/Bars here probably wanted more pieces, more color, something to put their name or logo on. I think that is what started the rush of the ceramic drinking vessels here.
Plus, how many people here were carving and making mugs? Much easier to shop through a catalog and tell them what you want. Times were changing!

I guess just one small example of what I am trying to get across here with the research we need to try to do would be the following great picture:

This picture is of a great looking Tiki Bar called The Makihana Bar at the Kokee Lodge on Kawai. I believe this picture to date pre-1955 but am not certain. Awesome decor, great carvings and hey...what's that....behind the bar....a stack of coconut mugs and also a hand carved face mug. Not a Tiki but a lady's face.

Just like the following mug that you see all over the place today. Some are old some newer made specifically for the tourist trade.

Now you do see variations of this but pretty much this is probably one of the mugs that started it all. Wouldn't you rather have a nice ceramic mug over one of these? I know I would but I do believe that every Tiki mug collection out there should at least salute the earliest of mugs.

Oh, I guess I did ramble. Oh well, thanks for tagging along!!
TabooDan

[ Edited by: TabooDan 2008-07-22 22:05 ]