An unexpected BOT find at the junk shop

I happened to be sifting through the wares at one of my local haunts when I came across a decanter featured in The Book of Tiki.

Naturally I snagged it quick and went home to check it versus the book. It is definitely the same maker, but is a slightly different variation from the one featured.

Rather than having a ceramic handle on the side, it has a metal handle attached at the top like an old glass milk jug. It also has two white hands molded in and protruding from the face just below the skull stopper in a "stop!" gesture like a traffic cop.

Otherwise it is a dead ringer for the bottle in the text.

So, my question:

Does anyone have any information about this decanter? Year it was made? Why it is different from the one in the book? Does anyone else have one or the variation in Sven's book?

While I intend to keep it (most likely) I would also be curious as to it's worth.

Can anyone help?

I'll post pics of it this weekend.

Thanks,

pele

[ Edited by: pele on 2003-05-15 14:57 ]

Pele, congrats on your find! There's several versions of this bottle that I know of. Do a search on eBay and type in "Wildcat Juice." This type of container was once used to market whiskey. Its somewhat of a novelty item because its kind of synonymous with Moonshine runners of the prohibition era. The particular boxed set you see in BOT was marketed with this theme in mind while adding a touch of the mystery of Tiki by including the fish netting and the skulls - a true characteristic of the Polynesian Pop era.

**Poly-Pop ***

[ Edited by: PolynesianPop on 2003-05-15 15:02 ]

Pele,

I saw these currently being sold at the International Market Place in Waikiki. I think they were going for $7.66 plus tax...

On 2003-05-15 14:59, PolynesianPop wrote:
Pele, congrats on your find! There's several versions of this bottle that I know of. Do a search on eBay and type in "Wildcat Juice." This type of container was once used to market whiskey. Its somewhat of a novelty item because its kind of synonymous with Moonshine runners of the prohibition era. The particular boxed set you see in BOT was marketed with this theme in mind while adding a touch of the mystery of Tiki by including the fish netting and the skulls - a true characteristic of the Polynesian Pop era.

**Poly-Pop ***

Ah, excellent!

Thank you very much, that is everything I wanted to know. I'll be sure to look you up in the future with my finds. Be sure to have a look at the pictures when I post them.

One more question if I may...

Can I assume that this piece is likely lead glazed? If not, I'd sure like to fill it with some particularly potent liquor befitting it's lineage.

pele

On 2003-05-15 15:00, Tiki_Bong wrote:
Pele,

I saw these currently being sold at the International Market Place in Waikiki. I think they were going for $7.66 plus tax...

???

$7.66 plus tax?

A rather odd price, don't you think?

Are you quite certain that isn't the sum total of the change in the bowl on your dresser? ; )

pele

Here's the decanter pics (a few days later than promised though -sorry).

Thanks again to PolyPop for the info.

Cheers!

pele

I don't have any specific info regarding to this particular item, but I'm with Pop in this being a novelty item.

Differences in such items probably stem from the fact they either had a good idea which was copied by others, or because they cobbled them together from whatever was available at the time. I've a couple of those mugs with nude women as handles, which are along the same lines. Similar ideas, but quite different from one another.

A trip to a British seaside town such as Blackpool would illustrate what I mean. Wander down the road and you'll see loads of novelty shops all selling pretty similar stuff, but look closely and the merchandise will actually be quite different.

Yours is a cool find, though. Definitely one for the Tiki bar.

Trader Woody