Post #537978 by bigbrotiki on Mon, Jun 21, 2010 9:55 AM

This guy is a variation on the PNG Trader Vic logo Tiki (not the Maori one). Tikis of this 2 foot size used to populate the underlit shelves that lined the walls at most Trader Vics (together with coral, Tridacna shells and beachcomber items)...and they were mostly carved by Barney West. Barney did many variations on this specific PNG design. Though the face is not that impressive, the body hints towards a West. There should be more of this size Barneys around, considering how many I have seen in the remaining Vics in my travels.

I'd never thought I would have reason to post this one, but as an example that Barney was not ALWAYS at his best it now works:
When I was researching the BOT in the 90s, I had lunch with Hans Richter and two of the Trader's sons in Emeryville, and one of them pulled out this statue, which had been given to him by Barney. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I thought it not to be one of Barney's best works, so I photographed it:

So your guy might not be a top of the line example, but a Barney West nevertheless