Post #734510 by Club Nouméa on Wed, Jan 7, 2015 12:14 AM

Just as a footnote to this thread, I would like to add this item as a candidate for the title of the first Tiki Cup (and saucer):

This particular item is on display in Te Papa (the National Museum of New Zealand, in Wellington). It was painted by one M. Hunter of New Zealand, for the NZ Centennial celebrations in 1940.

The cup and saucer were made by the Porzellanfabrik Thomas in Germany.

Upon reflexion, I am wondering whether NZBungalow's theory about US tiki mugs being the result of someone taking a 1949 Crown Lynn mug back to the States may not be correct. It would account for the fact that no US tiki mugs have ever been found that predate the early 1950s.

That NZ tiki mug itself clearly did not inspire any US designs, but seeing it may have put the idea of creating one into someone's head...