eBay: huge amai kai bowl

here is another item I listed on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=29460&item=3933537839&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW
thanks for looking

Oh wow...I saw this myself in the back upstairs offices of the Kahiki. It was an archeologically interesting find supporting my theory that the Kahiki not only "inherited" the Mystery Girl ritual from the Mai Kai, but also attempted to copy the ingenious mystery BOWL concept, where the straws go through the mouths of the Tiki.
I have only seen one photo of that KAHIKI mystery bowl in a menu, the Tikis looked better, more Ku-like in it. They might have only made a sample of it, declining to mass produce it because of cost, instead using the more Aztec looking (now equally rare) Hoffmann design.

So this is a historically valuable item, but I hesitate to join the bid fest, being disinclined to pay more than 500.- bucks for it, to which it will rise no doubt. The one on page 137 of the BOT still looks the best to me in glaze and detail, I have never seen one like it in the wild. And now that Tiki Farm is making it again...

Still, I hope one of US gets it, and maybe later it can be used in a Tiki Museum.

thanks for your help I have posted the hoffman mystery drink bowl closes soon
thanks again
barry

thanks for your help I have posted the hoffman mystery drink bowl closes soon
thanks again
barry

Phenomenally nice bowl. I was comparing it to this photo of the Mystery Girl from 1961:

And here's the bowl in the auction:

While the Tsao's Mai Kai bowl looks very early, to me it still doesn't look as early as the 1961 version with the flower on the side? Any other comments?

Sabu

We have a mystery bowl like the one in your 1961 photo. It's gray and I think was made by Harper of Florida like the gray mug and pitcher on page 11 of Tiki Quest. I was talking with Hazel (from the Mai-Kai gift shop) during Hukilau and she agreed that it was most likely used before the two-tone version.

We'll post a picture as soon as we can.