Post #625845 by Phillip Roberts on Tue, Feb 21, 2012 9:32 AM

Aloha,

On 2012-02-20 14:57, GatorRob wrote:
I mean no offense, and congrats on your score, but I have to admit... this thread contains the ugliest mugs I think I have ever seen! If they're part of history, then preserve them. But good god!

none taken, but I think that they are the MOST beautiful mugs of ALL... In fact, these are the most prized mugs in my small collection of locally produced and used mugs and glassware. Those Polynesian Pottery mugs are so awesome and all hand done. Not MASS PRODUCED like an Orchids of Hawaii mug or others. You can see many rare examples in Waikiki Tiki: Art, History and Photographs.

See here's the thing, because the Trader Vic's here was not part of the TV franchise (except for 4 months at the beginning of the Ward Avenue shop) the mugs used on the mainland were not available. Vic would not allow his suppliers to sell mugs to Hawaii. So when the Spencecliff Corporation got the franchise in 1966-7ish, they knew that they needed mugs as part of the tiki bar experience. It's again, what the visitor expected.. They also wanted them to be different and in their own way cruder than the mainland. Plus it was WAY cheaper to produce them in Hawaii than import them. Thus we get these incredible local art pieces produced in very limited amounts. Consider your self lucky!

These turned up in Tiki Finds a few weeks ago... Wicked... I got two of the plain white ones, but this green glaze is incredible...

Female figure

Male figure

Waikiki Tiki; Art, History, and Photographs.
Available now from Bess Press Hawaii.

[ Edited by: Phillip Roberts 2012-02-21 09:44 ]