Post #621479 by bigbrotiki on Wed, Jan 18, 2012 6:32 PM

Funny thing is, all those shields and masks are also in the 1970 Oceanic Arts catalog - plus dozens and dozens more (they must have offered 5 different New Caledonian door posts)! And here is the list of jobs that Oceanic Arts provided decor for:

Do we notice some parallels here? Indeed we do! Here is why - as far as I can piece it together, in short form:

In the mid- to late 1950s, Bob and Leroy began to carve shields, weapons, masks and Tiki poles for Bob Carter, who had an Import company named "Cargos by Carter", which was one of the earliest suppliers of tropical bars:

When these young and eager Oceanic Artists decided to go into business on their own in the 60s, they took their patterns with them. But Carter also still had examples of the carvings. When he wanted to retire, he sold his business to Bensons, another tropical importer. So the list that Bensons used was really CARTER'S list - who used O.A. carvings.

Bensons was and is less in the business of actual carvings, and more a supplier of materials like Bamboo, rattan, sea shells and Tapa. Note the difference in the header of the lists: One says "materials", the other "Decor".

I have to thank Benson's because when I began searching for Tiki remnants, it was their Long Bech warehouse I discovered first. That was in 1989. But they had no carvings Tikis except one little table top Moai. I asked them if they knew any other place where I could find such a thing, and it was THEY who told me about Oceanic Arts.

Since then Bensons has moved, here is one of their most recent catalogs:

They have posted some offers of wares here before, mostly stuff like matting and the above.