1945 Mystery Menehune Photo

Just saw this auction on Ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3275031763&category=35804

Assuming the 1945 date is more-or-less correct, does this strange tiki correspond to any images or pictures that anyone might have seen? Is this a Menehune perhaps? I thought the carvers and historians out there might be interested in this.

Sabu

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy on 2004-02-17 17:01 ]

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy on 2005-04-16 00:33 ]

Sabu,

It does appear to be more menehunic in nature (great folks those menehunes!).

[ Edited by: filslash 2008-09-10 13:56 ]

I'm certainly not an expert but I've been reading up on Hawaiian/South Pacific folklore lately. I haven't yet read of instances of Hawaiians carving representations of menehune. Also, most descriptions of male menehune have them clothed and having facial hair.

I think it's tempting to assume, given the alleged date of this photo being 1945, that the carving is ancient. Given that most Hawaiian tikis or idols were destroyed decades earlier, this is either an "escaped" ancient tiki or one contemporary to the first half of the 20th century. Also, I don't recall any legit ancient tikis carved standing on an existing tree stump, but I could be wrong.

I'd guess it's a tiki that was carved in the early part of the last century by a modern (for that time) island carver. It only makes sense that as anthropologists run out of artifacts to send back home that indigenous entrepeneurs would create "new" artifacts.

But then again, I reserve the right to be wholly and completely wrong on every point. :D

it's rather smurfy...

I dunno, but after looking at the photos in the auction.... the piece looks sculpted rather than carved... unless its a carving thats been heavily coated with something.

[ Edited by: filslash 2008-09-13 11:39 ]

The mouth on the tiki looks strangely familiar...

[ Edited by: filslash 2008-09-13 12:24 ]

[ Edited by: filslash 2008-09-13 12:25 ]

Did you get a photo taken of yourself next to this guy? And did you offer to take it off their hands? :wink:

I was at home last night and did a little viewing of the free pay per view movies on Comcast... I watched Gidget Goes Hawaiian - a couple tikis made an appearance and there were lots of cooly garnished cocktails on view but what I couldn't wait to report was that the same Menehune/tiki that had been discussed here also made a cameo. There was a scene where Gidget and Moondoggy were arguing directly in front of the tiki. I startled the wife when I let loose a hearty, "holy shit!" and sure enough after rewinding and pausing a couple time it was the Menehune! I would assume the movie was shot on location at the Royal Hawaiian and it was pretty cheesy but the TC connection made it all worthwhile.

A couple images from that...

-Randy