Post #671944 by Phillip Roberts on Fri, Mar 22, 2013 4:02 PM

Aloha,

As you know, (or maybe not) my collecting interest in mugs is 2-fold. I only care if the ceramic is

a) Made in Hawaii or
b) Used in Hawaii...

The favorites of my small, but potent collection are the handmade mugs for the Trader Vic's Waikiki dating from 1967-1985ish... I've mentioned before that when the Spencecliff Corporation took over the restaurant,m they were not allowed to use the mugs in the mainland shops...

These UGLY, Rough and some what Primitive vessels are beautiful to me... They are also quite rare and even fewer have been found in Hawaii.

I think that part of the reason that I don't find many is that most seem to have been taken to the mainland as keepsakes. I also think that because they are SO different, that they seem like child's projects and thus are often passed over in favor of more (shall we say) traditional mugs...

It is a great (and infrequent) day when I can add an new example to my collection. As was today... I have neither seen this one before in any place or on the TV drink menu from Waikiki... WOWIE!

That's pretty wild!

The bottom of the mug reads "Trader Vic's Hawaii." And even more curiously "Mountain Top Studio..." The style is quite like the Adele Davis mugs marked 'SSS' (Sunset Shore Studio), the early owner of Polynesian Pottery before selling to the Cosina brothers (Daga)

Anyone got the MTS mark on theirs?