Post #501463 by bigbrotiki on Wed, Dec 30, 2009 11:56 AM

This thread coming up again, and being one of my favorite subjects, I want to share another theory about the history and evolution/devolution of the Cannibal Carvings:

We have seen (and discussed) many variations of the trio on menus and matchbooks, but for me, one of the most graphically intriguing pieces has always been this Kon Tiki Montreal menu cover:

Quite an elaborate concept! Was this just the artist's fanciful imagination? For that, it seems rather concise, with details like the cauldron bearers drawn into it:

The motif also appeared on matchbooks...

...and even on souvenir spoons:

(I want that spoon!)

Well, when perusing details of the Kon Tiki blueprints, in the "Luau Garden" we first notice one of the multiple waterfalls of the Kon Tiki emptying into a pool....but then another feature catches our attention!:

In the upper left corner, right by the pool, on a 6 inch high platform, stood what was called a "Sacrificial Altar"! The overhead view of a large round item surrounded by three smaller half-round pieces bears an uncanny resemblance to the grouping on the menu cover, and the name certainly befits the concept.

I unfortunately missed the opportunity to inquire about this detail when both of the Kon Tiki's designers were still alive, but what really condemns this find into the realm of theory is the fact that so far, no photographic evidence has surfaced which would prove the physical existence of this ensemble. This, my friends, would indeed be a stellar find!