Post #521487 by Tiki-Kate on Thu, Apr 1, 2010 5:53 PM

Westwood was my first real tiki mug obsession, and after twelve years of collecting, it's still one of my biggest obsessions. I've been dying to be able to respond to this thread, not that I have all that much to add.

I've never been able to find much information about Westwood. I think I might stand a better chance if I spoke or read Japanese.

It took me a while to figure out how to handle the mugs on Ooga-Mooga. I finally just surrendered and employed my own numbering system. I laugh a little whenever I see it used on ebay to describe the mugs.

I relied fairly heavily on pages 63-66 in Tiki Quest. I know that Duke never wanted the book to become the definitive information source, but for now it's the best source of info on vintage mugs to which we all have access.

We all know that there were several companies that either knocked off the designs or the style. There was Westpac, Davar, ArtMark and Nasco, just to name a few. They all have that same light weight ceramic, handle and geometric design.

I started with the four most common mugs, all of which are definitely Westwoods because they all have been seen marked as such. Having seen the full dinner set, I wonder how many of the four main designs had other pieces manufactured in their image.

The coffee cup has an ArtMark sticker. The mug is Westwood, and the shot is just marked "Japan."

The toothpick holder and shot are marked "Japan." The napkin holder and lamp are unmarked. The mug is Westwood. The coffee cup has an ArtMark sticker, and the salt & pepper have a small sticker that reads "Japan."

This ashtray is the same style as the items above and is usually seen with "Aloha Hawaii" or "Florida" in raised letters on the front. I haven't seen one with any manufacturer's markings.

The coffee cup has an ArtMark sticker. The mug is Westwood, and the shot is just marked "Japan."

The toothpick holder and shot are marked "Japan." The salt & pepper have a small sticker that reads "Japan." The teapot is unmarked. The mug is Westwood. The coffee cup is unmarked. The cruets have a small sticker that reads "Japan."

I always assumed that the fourth mug in this shot was Westwood since it's the same dimensions as the other three and Duke shows it on page 64 with the other Westwoods. Mine has no markings while the other three are all definitely Westwoods. I've seen that design manufactured as a decanter and shot set by Quon Quon.

These three are just marked "Japan" on the bottom, but they are on pages 63 and 64 of Tiki Quest. The ceramic is thicker and the glaze is glossier than most, but not all of the marked Westwood mugs.

These three are unmarked, but are also on pages 63 and 64. We go back to the lighter weight ceramic and more matte glaze.

The two banks are marked "Westwood" on the bottom. The mug in the center is on page 65. There is a bank with the same design marked "Westwood," so I assume that's why the mugs are thought of as such.

The two coffee cups just say "Japan" on the bottom but are on page 64 of Tiki Quest. The Noh mug in the center is marked "Westwood" and scares me a little, so I hide it behind other mugs.

The first of these woodface mugs is on page 64. One of mine has a "Japan" sticker on the bottom which is the same as the stickers I've seen on my pieces that are definitely Westwood designs.

The mug is unmarked and the spice shakers are stamped "Japan" and are seen on pages 63 and 65.

These two are hobbyist pieces and were both produced in the 70's. I believe that Duncan made the molds.

These pieces are unmarked but have that Westwood style. The teapot has the same pattern on the back as the teapot I showed earlier.

These two mugs are also Westwoodesque in my opinion. They both read "Made in Japan" on the bottom.

These last three just have that light weight ceramic slightly Westwood vibe about them. Sort of.