Did Witco ever do Conquistador decor?

I came across a couple Spanish looking Conquistador wall hangings at the local Goodwill...they have the look of Witco and are framed on red velvet...could these possibly be Witco? The tiki market at the local thrift stores has been non-existent over the last couple months but if I wanted to convert the tiki bar into a Spanish theme I'd have an instant collection...someone must have unloaded an entire basement full of this shit!

They sure did. In the future someone might write a book about it. I will buy that book.

Here is a link to a former post with several pictures. http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=10937&forum=5&vpost=115150

I just threw out some of that stuff. Made me uncomfortable to be around.

Three different sized canons, and bookends of these hooded figures reading. Typically the wood grain was exagerated.

I never understood the interest in this as a decore theme, unlike Tiki, I don't find it fun, amuzing or warm.

It was everywhere tho...remember those sterios that were as big as sofas that sort of matched?

I'd be very wary of spotting conquistador decor and declaring it Witco. Even now, many years after the fad for such stuff has cooled to just above freezing, many tourist shops flog off their remaining stock. It's over the place there, and much must have made it's way to the US.

There's so much of it around that whatever Witco copied must make up the tiniest percentage of what's out there. Just be wary.

Trader Woody

On 2004-12-03 21:37, Turbogod wrote:
They sure did. In the future someone might write a book about it. I will buy that book.

I tink a Vitco book is a great idea.

Unfortunately the ugly ass things I went and purchased for $10.00 aren't Witco - I'm thinking of either donating them to the landfill or burning them just so I won't ever set eyes on them again!

These are the ugly bastards in question...

Now I know if I ever come across any questionably Witco items in the future that aren't tiki - leave them there and forget I ever saw 'em!

My family had some of the conquistador art when I was a kid.

For me, its always had a sort of 'low rent - Pirates of the Caribbean' charm...

Hi, I'm new here, but I've visited the site many times before. I'm into the Conquistador furniture, and right now I've got 6 large chairs that have been painted over with black paint. I'm looking for guidance in rescuing them. I just love them!!!

Use paint stripper to remove the old paint, then stain & reseal with a clear coat.

There is also a school of Witco restoration that promotes simple wood wax (after any prior non-Witco coating has been removed) such as this:

I respect your decision FOR Conquistador Witco, and though I am weary of supporting such dastardly tendencies, this thread lacks some visuals of the gnarly kind! So here we go, with a 1968 Witco catalog cover that was all Conquistador:

...followed by this nice selection of taste crimes:

This bar pretty much says it all:

There is a clear cross-over into the "Knight" and "Royal" genres:

I think next to red velvet, "gold dinero crush" would definitely be the material of choice for the style:

I believe it looks thus in color:

The lamp on the right would be just right for it:

While twisted black rod iron is the hallmark of Conquistador style, rough welded statuary such as this is quite befitting too:

Another Conquistador cross-over would be Pre-Columbian style:

...cause that's what the Conquistadors did: they bashed in the original South-American natives :)

I hereby openly admit to being the owner of this fine wall-mounted behemoth:

Last not least, here's the impressive interior I published in TIKI MODERN:

This kind of furniture can have an appeal all of its own - with the right additions that is...

Great info BigBro, and awesome visuals as usual. So let me get this right, hot babes are Witco? That is something worth collecting...I'm sure my wife won't mind :)

Something about this bar, I love it and I hate it at the same time, can't decide.

Such is the mysterious magnetism of Conquistador Witco - though for many, the repelling effect of like poles is dominant :)

I know that was hard for you, BigBro. Truly, it was a noble gesture of almost heroic warmth and inclusion. Or is that inclusiveness? Inclusive-osity? Anyway, It was nice.