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Tiki Central / General Tiki / Tiki mug terms for beginners

Post #812897 by Holofernes on Thu, May 30, 2024 1:54 PM

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OK, here's my [ongoing] draft of a Tiki mug related terminology list.

Comments/corrections below are welcome, I'll edit/update this post as improvement suggestions arrive. :)

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Beginners Tiki Mug Terminology, Version 1.3
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Updated June 3, 2024

• This list seeks to describe various Tiki mug terms, shapes and styles for easier mug identification.
• It does not attempt to describe all "Tiki culture" related terms in general - just drinkwear.
• For convenience, it will also contain some non-mug and glass terms that fall into Polynesian-pop drinkwear.
• A link to a representative image/example mug will appear after most entries.


Artist Proof: A mug made by the artist before the larger mug run comes out which are "test-glazed", to determine which glazes are going to be used for the edition. mytiki.life

Bamboo: A mug styled to appear like a tall piece (or pieces) of bamboo with various segments and possibly leaves. Example: mytiki.life

Bob: A “Bob” mug generally refers to the “Tiki Bob” character sporting two black dots for eyes, a line or ridge for a nose, and a whimsical smile - all “carved” out of an upright log shape. mytiki.life

Bowl: typically refers to a Scorpion bowl (often glass) that holds a lot of Tiki drink and is meant to be shared. See also Volcano Bowl. mytiki.life

Bucket: A bucket shaped bowl/mug. mytiki.life

Bug-eyed: A mug where the eyes of the Tiki protrude very noticeably. mytiki.life

Cannibal: A mug with a Cannibal theme - often a leering, potbellied fiend, sometimes a skull, or one depicting an entity devouring a smaller entity (often in threes/three stages of eating) See also "Eater". mytiki.life

Clam Shell: A low clam shell shaped bowl, or a mug where clam shells are the main decoration. mytiki.life

Coconut (cup): Typically a low cup versus a true mug, these are shaped and stained to look like half a coconut shell. mytiki.life

Double Old-Fashioned glass: A larger old-fashioned glass. mytiki.life

Drooling Bastard: A crude Tiki visually looking like volcanic rock with water trickling out of the figure's mouth and into a held bowl. mytiki.life

Eater(s): aka Cannibal mugs, these mugs depicting an entity devouring a smaller entity, often in threes/three stages (Catcher/Eater/Ingestor). mytiki.life

Event Mugs: Mugs commissioned for or commemorating a specific gathering or event.
mytiki.life

Drum: Tikis representing drums. mytiki.life

Fog Cutter: a tall drinking vessel with a subtle bell shape at top and bottom. mytiki.life

Geisha: Image is primarily of a Japanese Geisha (usually not considered true Tiki). mytiki.life

Headhunter: a wide category of fearsome hunters who might be coming for your head (see also Cannibal, Eater, Shrunken Head). mytiki.life

Hei Tiki: Maori Hei-Tiki mugs have a "bent" head and a protruding tongue, and are modeled after traditional stone carvings often worn around the neck. mytiki.life

Highball (glass): A glass tumbler that holds 8-12 fluid ounces (see also Mai-Tai glass). mytiki.life

Hobbyist Mugs: mugs made by individuals at home using commercially sold molds typically in the 60s. mytiki.life

Hula Girl: Mug features a hula girl dancing. mytiki.life

Hut: Mugs representing huts, meeting halls and the like mytiki.life

Kane/Man: A man or warrior that doesn't fit these other definitions. mytiki.life

Kraken: A legendary sea monster of enormous size, similar to an enormous squid or octopus. mytiki.life

Ku/Ku faced: A very common motif in true Tiki mugs, featuring a Tiki God who is grimacing (frowning or smiling). mytiki.life

Lantern/Light: A Tiki featuring a nautical lantern or ships' light. mytiki.life

Lowball (glass): a low glass tumbler for serving spirits, also known as an old-fashioned glass. mytiki.life

Mai-Tai (glass): A medium sized highball glass, sometimes also a lowball. mytiki.life

Maori: Features imagery associated with the Polynesian Maori people of New Zealand and often have tongues sticking out.. mytiki.life

Marquesan: Mugs featuring artwork of the people of the Marquesan Islands. mytiki.life

Menehune: Hawaiian legend has it that the Menehune were a mischievous group of small people/dwarves who hid in the forests and valleys of the islands before the first settlers arrived from Polynesia. mytiki.life

Moai: Refers to a Rapa Nui (aka “Easter Island”) statue head shaped mug. mytiki.life

Nautical: Trader & beachcomber style ship, anchors, floats, and related real world imagery - excluding pirates and sea beasts. mytiki.life

Old-Fashioned (glass): a low glass tumbler for serving spirits, also known as a lowball.

Orientalia: Image is primarily of something more Oriental than Tiki (examples: Fu-Manchu, Ninja, Benihana steak house drinking mugs, etc.). These are not considered "true Tiki". mytiki.life

Palm Tree: Mugs primarily featuring one or more palm trees. mytiki.life

Peanut: Mugs shaped like an upright peanut (a rounded hourglass shape) often bearing lines and/or a stippled surface like a peanut shell. mytiki.life

Personality Mugs: Mugs made to honor a particular person involved in Tiki culture. Does not include Disney, Geekitikis, etc. mytiki.life

Pineapple: Pineapple shaped mugs. mytiki.life

Pirate: Image is primarily of a Pirate or scalawag (pirates are usually not considered "true Tiki"). mytiki.life

Polynesian: Artwork broadly related to the Pacific Ocean island culture known as Polynesia, generally stretching over thousands of islands from Hawaii on the North to New Zealand in the Southwest to Easter Island in the South East. This area borders also on Micronesia and Melanesia. All together the three areas are often referred to as “Oceanic”. Mugs are often based upon what area of Polynesia they are from (example: PNG/Papua New Guinea).

Rum Barrel: A barrel shaped mug. mytiki.life

Scorpion Bowl: A glass or ceramic vessel for drinks that are meant to be shared between two people (sometimes also referred to as a Kava or Tarantula bowl). Scorpion Bowls often have three tikis (or sometimes other characters) around the outside "supporting" it. For larger bowls, see "Volcano Bowls". mytiki.life

Shot: A small vessel intended to hold approximately 2 ounces of booze. mytiki.life

Shrunken Head: Imagery featuring a “shrunken skull” which may or may not have eyes and lips sewn shut. mytiki.life

Skull: The mug is shaped like or primarily features a skull. mytiki.life

Stackers: Small thin walled mugs meant to be stacked up together in a neat stack, typically featuring 3 or four different Tiki motifs. Sometimes also used on single mugs that appear to be “stacks” of heads, etc. mytiki.life

Suffering Bastard: Typically a hunched figure who appears to be holding his forehead in pain, with a headache from enjoying too many Tiki drinks. mytiki.life

Surfer: Mug features someone surfing. mytiki.life

Tahiti/Tahitian: Mugs featuring Tahiti style artwork. mytiki.life

Tiki: The general term for a mug that has an obvious depiction of Polynesian, Melanesian, or Micronesian imagery as it's primary visual component.

Volcano Bowl: a larger bowl often meant to share drink between three or more people, and often with a raised inner lip that can hold some over-proof rum to be carefully lit for a great table show simulating a volcano.
mytiki.life

Wahini/Woman: Typically a bikini clad woman is present (see also hula girl if in traditional Hawaiian attire). mytiki.life

Wipe-Away Glaze: A mug where the glaze has been applied and then wiped away to leave the glaze behind in the lower ridges only. mytiki.life

Wood Grain: simulated wood grain is present on a mug, to represent a carved wood look. mytiki.life

Zombie: Usually refers to a tall cooler/highball glass versus a glazed mug. Also a specific drink, of course. mytiki.life

[ Edited by Holofernes on 2024-06-03 11:35:35 ]