Post #476973 by Limbo Lizard on Thu, Aug 13, 2009 8:48 AM

I've read through this thread twice, and looked on Ooga-Mooga, concerning the gold/brown "short neck" Don mug.
First, it looks like there are two different, but similar designs. One is "smoother", and has less detail (see the picture posted by 'beachbumz', above - apparently from Tiki Shaker's Ooga-Mooga collection). Not certain, but it looks like it might have an unglazed bottom. I see at least two of these, on Ooga-Mooga.
Compare that with the picture posted above, by '1961surf', and on page 2, by 'ModMana'. This design has more definition, and a glazed bottom. I see at least 4 in Ooga-Mooga. There is no mention or notice on Ooga-Mooga that there are two separate versions of the mug.
Now, to further complicate things. On page 2, 'boutiki' mentions a late-90's knock-off version, which Sven then identifies as having been produced by the execrable (some would say) Allen St.James, AKA Tiki Trader. So, which design did he copy? Or, is one of the designs the knock-off, in toto? Sven mentions an Asian look. The detailed design does have a sort of Asian/hapa haole look, more on some than others, possibly depending on how the glaze settled.
Does anyone have any information on the alleged knock-offs, or suggestions on how to identify/differentiate them? I found and bought the mug, pictured below, at a small town junk/collectable store, recently. If authentic, it was a good deal - not terribly expensive, but not cheap, either. If it's the knock-off... I don't know. I'm wondering if I'm a champ or a chump. Can anyone shed further light on this? I'll keep it in my small collection, anyway, but... I gots to know!