Need help with Ku style Tiki mug.

Aloha fellow TCer's!
I'm looking for more info on this heavy Ku style Tiki mug. I'm unable to make out the makers mark on the bottom. Anyone seen this guy before? Any info?

Ma halo,
Tim

You think its maybe Spanish cause its got the airbrushing?

[ Edited by: teaKEY 2007-09-20 17:07 ]

That's my thoughts but arte 4 and porcelanas pavon have different markings.
Here is the bottom....

Looks like I can make out Port Orchard Washington and might be Totem Pottery see this thread http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=6730&forum=5&15&PHPSESSID=af08aa022e8d59dae7471c83506a0895

Port Orchard, I've never heard of that maker before.

On 2007-09-20 16:54, Tikinomad wrote:
Port Orchard, I've never heard of that maker before.

Totem Pottery seems to be a manufacturer based out of Port Orchard, Washington.

I see, very cool, thanks guys and girls!
Any idea if this mug was used at any tiki bars/resturants?

Good link Blue Thunder.
Totem Pottery did make the black triangle shaped mug that was used by Hilton Hawaiian Village.
Nice score there Tiki Nomad... Haven't seen that one before.
Aloha,
:tiki:

[ Edited by: tiki royale 2007-09-22 09:55 ]

Thanks Tiki royale, two mysteries solved!
I got one of those matte black triangle mugs awhile back and didn't know the maker, two completely different styles, who knew?
Tiki Central Rules.......thanks for all the help!

I haven't seen this design before, but I know quite a bit about Totem Pottery from Port Orchard. The company was (is) owned by a guy named Hinton Blaisdell who made things with a Northwest Coast Indian motif for a long time. Some of the stuff will be marked Blaisdell Pottery; same maker, same factory/studio. I have a good sized collection of about 35 pieces of his stuff. It was sold at tourist junk shops in the Seattle area from the early 1960s to mid 1980s. It is all brown glaze on red clay, with glazed on faces that come from historical totem poles and indian art. The cups are typically stackable, to make a totem pole. He made a lot of different things like plates, platters, masks, teapots, shakers, all with weird indian designs.

As far as I know, he is still alive and living in Spokane Washington. He is over 90 years old and in the more recent years has been making tikis. So this piece is probably not too old, but is pretty cool!

Very cool to see this post. I have two of those mugs - they are very slightly different, with a shorter upper rim. I purchased them here on Oahu about a year ago, and had never seen another. The underside has the same manufacturer's stamp, and the words "Designed for Hawaiian Village Hotel".

I always assumed this referred to the pre-Hilton Kaiser Hawaiian Village Hotel. With the additional info that Totem Pottery also made the Hilton Hawaiian Village black triangular mugs, I think that's a pretty safe assumption.

By the way, my friends call this the Chewbacca Mug, much to my displeasure. But you know, it does look like the furball.

[ Edited by: Koolau 2007-10-05 23:41 ]

....nice, thanks for all the info guys!

On 2007-10-05 23:23, Koolau wrote:
Very cool to see this post. I have two of those mugs - they are very slightly different, with a shorter upper rim. I purchased them here on Oahu about a year ago, and had never seen another. The underside has the same manufacturer's stamp, and the words "Designed for Hawaiian Village Hotel".

I always assumed this referred to the pre-Hilton Kaiser Hawaiian Village Hotel. With the additional info that Totem Pottery also made the Hilton Hawaiian Village black triangular mugs, I think that's a pretty safe assumption.

By the way, my friends call this the Chewbacca Mug, much to my displeasure. But you know, it does look like the furball.

[ Edited by: Koolau 2007-10-05 23:41 ]

Hi Guys, Hinton Blaisdell is my uncle and he hand built every piece of Totem Pottery. He was in business from the 1950s through the late 80s. The Tiki Mugs came in two colors, beige and mat black. They also came in two sizes 5 & 7 inch tall. They were sold at Hawaiian Village and maybe another Hotel or two. Uncle Hinton had a tiny studio on Beach Drive in Port Orchard, WA. He also sold the northwest indian style totem pottery. It was sold mostly at Blake Island Tillicum Village, Hurricane Village and I think the Olympic Hotel.

Rest Assured this is not cheap tourist crap. Every piece was hand made by my uncle, he never had a helper other than his wife Eujeane who helped with the art work/ design of the pottery. Also you can be sure that the design used real indian totems etc. Bear, beaver, moon etc.

On 2008-07-22 19:50, jimingig wrote:

Hi Guys, Hinton Blaisdell is my uncle and he hand built every piece of Totem Pottery. He was in business from the 1950s through the late 80s. The Tiki Mugs came in two colors, beige and mat black. They also came in two sizes 5 & 7 inch tall. They were sold at Hawaiian Village and maybe another Hotel or two. Uncle Hinton had a tiny studio on Beach Drive in Port Orchard, WA. He also sold the northwest indian style totem pottery. It was sold mostly at Blake Island Tillicum Village, Hurricane Village and I think the Olympic Hotel.

Rest Assured this is not cheap tourist crap. Every piece was hand made by my uncle, he never had a helper other than his wife Eujeane who helped with the art work/ design of the pottery. Also you can be sure that the design used real indian totems etc. Bear, beaver, moon etc.

[ Edited by: filslash 2008-09-20 20:41 ]

Aloha jimingig - welcome aboard.

Your uncle's mugs are very much appreciated and collected - tell us more about him if you can.

What do you mean the mugs came in beige and black? Are you saying there are beige triangle mugs?

Did he make any other tiki (non-indian) designs other than the Ku mug and female triangle mug? I believe there's a triangle mug with tikis - was that his work?

Do you still have his molds?

Mahalo

I have one of the totem teapots, but on the bottom it appears to be stamped BIAISDELL, not BLAISDELL. It has green glaze where the one on your website has blue glaze, but an eBay post indicates that the green glaze was used prior to 1980 and the blue glaze (containing Mt. St. Helens' ash) was used later.
So, does anyone else have pieces marked BIAISDELL?