Crypto-Mugs. Do these legends exist and who has them?

Here are two mug illustrations shown in the drink menu from the Tahitian in Pasadena, you know, the cool yellow one.

The first is a Fog Cutter style mug (cleverly named the Smog Cutter!) that shows the Tahitian name and their logo hut.

The second is a Rum Barrel with the Tahitian name.

Do they exist?

DC

dustycajun--i have what i believe to be the fog cutter mug you are asking about...i got it from an 88 year old neighbor . he had all kinds of stuff..o.a. statues in the yard ,floats ,giant clamshells,turtle shells you name it..he gave me a stash of old vintage mugs and in it it were these red clay mugs. i said they weren't tiki .he said he and his wife had got them from one of the tiki bars they went to. since he had all these other mugs from different bars i figured what the heck..they are un marked and appear to be individually hand made since each of the four that i have are a little different and somewhat crude...what do you think????btw the man is still around so i will try to see if his memory is working any better as to where he actually got them.https://tikicentral.com/uploads/6644/4b89c2f6.jpg

I was curious to see what mug ron-tiki was talking about in the last post so here's the above photo that ron-tiki is showing if it doesn't come out:

And from the Outrigger Club menu:

These look pretty cool and have the story to go along with them!
Awesome addition to this cool post. Thanks!!

We might be able to cross off alot of mugs that we didn't know were out there with this thread!

TabooDan

[ Edited by: TabooDan 2010-02-27 18:10 ]

thanks taboo dan!!!

The question always arises as to whether or not an artist's drink menu rendering of a mug or bowl is based on a real item. In my humble opinion, the answer is always, "Yes". Liberties may have been taken with an illustration, however, the images tend not to be too far off the mark when the actual pieces are found. My tiki wish list is comprised of mainly pieces only seen as a drawing within a menu. It's impossible to prove that these pieces do not exist; as a collector, I assume they do and plan my searches accordingly. A perfect example of this are the rare pieces that recently came to light from the Kahiki. Within the past year I had the good fortune to pick-up a ultra-rare piece from the Kalua Room: the Tonga Tabu mug

Artist's rendering

the real deal

:lol: that's funny KC...I hadn't seen your post here prior to posting this:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=28577&forum=5&start=15&26

[ Edited by: Babalu 2010-03-01 12:18 ]

I tend to buy clothes not mugs... I lost an auction for this dress a few years ago and always wondered if the mugs were 'real' or imagined.

Hey 54houseofbamboo, that dress is bang on for the mugs that were used at The Hawaiian Village, Hilton Hotel in Hawaii.
Same mugs are on their menu. They were used alright!
Too bad you lost the auction!!

TabooDan

On 2010-02-27 11:21, uncle trav wrote:
Great thread. Here is one I have wondered about since I found and posted the picture on the Mai Kai thread. I wrote

This has got to be an ultra rare mug, The cocktail is the Orbit Drink. I want one of these, hell I want the drink recipe. The caption with the picture says.

"Waitress in Mai Kai restaurant serving Orbit Drink in honor of John H. Glenn's space flight. January 1 1962"

Looks like they just took the aluminum cup they served the 151 Swizzle in and inverted it and put some faux rocket on top. I don't think this is any sort of real mug/vessel.

now THIS is a GREAT thread!!! I have about 4 of both kinds of bowl (large & small) on the bottom left

of this menu from the Hawaiian in Utah..the trailer they had
stashed all the etc. from the site where the restaurant HAD been was FULL of stuff..thats
where i got my first set of real groovy tiki SCHWAG..they had CRUDLOADS of stuff
they were just TOSSING..it was ridiculous

bb moondog,

That's a pretty amazing story, would like to hear more about the Hawaiian and the trailer full of stuff. Maybe you can get a thread going for that with some photos of the items you found.

DC

*On 2010-02-27 07:24, GatorRob wrote:*I'm still searching for this ribbed glass that was used in oh-so-many tiki bars and shows up in several of the menu pictures in this thread (this picture from Sabu's post - glass on left) :down:

It shows up on the tiki scene as early as the 1930s at Don the Beachcomber's in Hollywood (see lower right) :down:

And as late as 1990 :down:

Yes, there's a glass in that picture, trust me. :wink: You'd think with a glass that was in such widespread use over so many decades that it would be easy to find, but I still haven't located one. Jeff Berry has not seen one either and he's been looking for years. Does anyone have one in their collection? If so, do you know who made them? I've scanned many old drinkware catalogs and haven't found it. I did find this one :down:

and thought I'd finally located it, but having shown it to Kern Mattei (Mai-Kai manager), he's convinced it's not the same that they used, but it's awfully close. I'm pretty sure he's right because this one is rather thin and delicate and would not hold up at all to everyday use in a restaurant or bar. But then again, that may be why none are left... they all broke!

On 2010-02-27 09:14, GatorRob wrote:
hiltiki, right, those are likely the same ones I have. The ones used in the classic tiki bars were all clear and, best I can tell, have 7 rings/ribs whereas mine has 6.

I'd been under the impression that because these were often called "Pearl Divers" (or "Deep Sea Divers" at the Mai Kai :wink: ) that the pearly, Carnival Glass glasses were used. The pearly ones go for too much arond here, because I'm competing with Carnival Glass collectors [dammit].

But I've picked up a couple of non-pearly, green ones as a consolation prize to myself. That menu shot in green has me wondering, though, if in fact non-pearly ones were indeed used?

Regarding the 7-ring vs 6-ring thing - has anyone seen a photograph (or real life) 7-ringer?
I suspect Artistic License on that one.
I mean, is Fara's 1990-Mai-Kai one above a 6-er or a 7-er? I cannot tell from the photo myself.

And I'm dying that I can't be at home right now as I type this to count the rings on mine! :lol:

My Inner Geek is being SO fed by this thread.
DAMN YOU, SABU!!
(Mwah!)

Update:
Mine have 6!

And when I stare at the 1990 Mai Kai one there, I lean towards 6.
So perhaps the 7 ring glass is an artist's artistic license after all?

Or is the 7 ring the Crypto Glass! HA!

Here are the ones I have, two next to each other, one with 6 rings and one with 7 rings.

On 2010-03-03 09:47, Formikahini wrote:

And as late as 1990 :down:

What was this thread about?

Damn!

This might clear things up a bit, 7-ring pearlescent.

Georgie Rudin's Tropics here in Dayton, Ohio used these for the Bikini drink.

Very nice, SufferinSimon!

I'm glad I'm not the only one having trouble finding those ribbed glasses. I also wonder what the correct bar-supply name is for that style glass. I'd love to see an old supplier-invoice.

Here's another good image from the Las Vegas Aku Aku menu:

:down: I found six of this smaller ruby red glass by Imperial:

:down: For an instant I thought I had found the Bali Beach pictured in this menu, but no such luck.

Still, I like the glasses and wonder what would be a good cocktail to serve in them.

KC - That Tonga Tabu mug from the Kalua Room is outstanding! The texture so similar to their drum mug.

Another question: Does your prototype bowl match up with this image from one of the Bartender Guides:?

...or are the characters on it actual gremlins as well?

DustyCajun - Those mugs from the Tahitian are excellent additions. I don't think I've ever seen them outside of those menu pictures either. The "Smog Cutter" was a very clever name for the time. Back in the 60s and 70s, Pasadena was one of the smoggiest cities in California. I remember dreading when we had to visit relatives there because my lungs would hurt the whole next day. The Clean Air act sure changed things.

GatorRob - nice find on those Derby Daquiri glasses and thanks for the close-up photo! I think they were manufactured by Morgantown. I've seen them sold once or twice on eBay by glass dealers using the Morgantown name. Here's another vintage image for you to geek out on:

ron-tiki - Another fantastic find with those Fogcutter mugs. I would have never known, had I seen them. Nice to match them up to that Outrigger Club menu.

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy 2010-03-04 00:53 ]

Back to the Las Vegas Aku Aku menu:

Has anyone found any piece of their custom glassware? (I think the Grogg and the Mai Kai Swizzle glasses are probably the same)

:down: They also had this custom-printed bamboo glass

:down: I don't think I've seen this generic shell bowl either:

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy 2010-03-04 00:56 ]

I had mentioned in an aku aku thread way back that i met a woman who owned a shop in vegas and used to work wait tables at the aku-aku back in the day...the bamboo mugs were discontinued early due to sanitation issues because they were made of bamboo and could harbor bacteria...they should be pretty hard to find.

hiltiki and SufferinSimon, thanks! Looks like you might have the real deal there. Although... Kern had told me once that the Mai-Kai ones they used to order were clear, not pearly. The Mai-Kai continued to order them until they couldn't get them anymore. As I recall, he didn't know who supplied them, but said they used to order a lot of glassware from Libbey. However, I haven't spotted it in any catalog yet.

Formikahini - Definitely 7 rings for the Mai-Kai ones and it seems like it's that way for the all the photos and illustrations I've seen on menus where you can see the whole glass, such as in Sabu's photo and here :down:

Since Swanky brought up the aluminum 151 Swizzle/Rum Swizzle cup (on left above), does anyone have one? I don't think they are that terribly rare, but I don't exactly see them at Crate and Barrel either. I actually haven't really looked for them. I think the Mai-Kai still uses them or one similar?

Sabu - Yes, Morgantown Glass made the Derby Daiquiri glasses. I've seen them three different ways: with the stem amber, clear or frosted. But the Mai-Kai used the amber ones like in the photo I posted. And I wonder about the accuracy of that Bali Beach menu illustration. That seems awfully top heavy to me. Maybe you do have the right one?

Sabu & GatorRob,
The ribbed glasses were made by Dunbar Glass and the pattern is called Aramis.
They were available in many colors and I'd bet that Dunbar supplied the clear
ones.

On 2010-03-04 10:36, SufferinSimon wrote:
Sabu & GatorRob,
The ribbed glasses were made by Dunbar Glass and the pattern is called Aramis.
They were available in many colors and I'd bet that Dunbar supplied the clear
ones.

I found a pair dated back to 1936.

On 2010-03-04 10:36, SufferinSimon wrote:
Sabu & GatorRob,
The ribbed glasses were made by Dunbar Glass and the pattern is called Aramis.
They were available in many colors and I'd bet that Dunbar supplied the clear
ones.

Yeah, I know. I have several colors of them from Dunbar. I'm just skeptical because of the fragility of those. Maybe they made other more heavy duty ones for restaurants though. Or another company picked up on the design and made them. What's also interesting to me is that, like those once-ubiquitous green/yellow ceramic tiles, the use of these glass started somewhere (where?!? Don's?) and then proliferated everywhere.

On 2010-03-04 00:49, Sabu The Coconut Boy wrote:
Back to the Las Vegas Aku Aku menu:

Has anyone found any piece of their custom glassware? (I think the Grogg and the Mai Kai Swizzle glasses are probably the same)

The thing is, none of the Aku Aku glassware is terribly interesting other than the "Aku Aku" on the side and the logo tiki, which of course makes it interesting. :wink: Hope some of these surface.

I've found the salad plates before with that logo, so I assume the glasses shouldn't be impossible to find. I'm happy collecting double-rocks glasses, so I'd be satisfied with finding a single mai-tai glass. But if you're a AKU-AKU completest, you've got to find all six or seven shapes! That's quite a challenge.

Dunbar Glass made clear versions of that Aramis glass, but that seemed to be the least-favored color of their production. Like most Depression Glass, the colors were more popular. The company folded in 1953 so someone had to be making that design afterwards for the restaurant biz. Some employees from Dunbar went on to found Kanawha Glass, but they seem to have focused on making Carnival and Crackle glass. I can't find any evidence that they made the Aramis design as well.

I'm betting that some other company (like Libbey or Anchor Hocking) got the rights to that design and made a heavier restaurant version. But we'll never know until/unless someone finds one. Until then, I may try to accumulate a few of the Dunbar clear examples from the 30s & 40s.

I really appreciate the info on Dunbar in any case. Muchas Gracias!

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy 2010-03-04 16:34 ]

A couple of entries.

Tiki Pugs mom found two of these Keg o Rum barrels from the South Pacific in Hallandale Florida.

The mug is featured on the illustrated menu

and postcard mailer.

First time I had ever seen one of these.

Also, here is a mai tai glass from the Tahiti Nui in Kauai with the signature Tiki that has not surfaced before.

DC

All I can add to the post is, I’m fairly sure the Aku Aku glassware exists, in fact I think I have a broken one in storage. When we were shooting the Intoxica cover, the glass (with the blue drink) in the upper right was supposed to be a Aku Aku glass, unfortunately it got broke, the lamps would melt the ice after a few minutes, so we had to remake the drink regularly and the glass got broke while being washed between shots, the bum was very specific about quality. I haven’t seen it since then, 9-10 years ago but I’m fairly certain, if I find out differently I’ll let everyone know.

Bosko

I knew I'd seen the Mai Kai Swizzle glass and the Cherry Blossom glass somewhere before and it turns out they both are on the BACK COVER of Intoxica but after a closer look it appears the Aku Aku menu images were used for it.

Shit! :roll:

Would these 2 honeymoon bowls I found fit in here? They look like the one shown in that South Pacific menu.

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=13068&forum=2&start=15&hilite=SOUTH

This drink menu is from the Waikiki Room at the Leamington Hotel in Minneapolis. There was also a Waikiki Room at the Hotel Nicolet.

I have never seen one of the Waikiki Rum Barrels before, they look like the Aku Aku style. Anybody got one?

DC

Sabu,

Here are some bigger scans of the Kava Bowl and the Tiki Bowl from the Polynesian. Nice match of the Tiki Bowl to that Bali Hai menu. I too have never seen either of these bowls. Maybe KC has one?

There is also a crypto Scorpion bowl with bamboo and palm leaves on the menu that I have not seen before.

DC

Thanks, DC.

It may just be the low-res printing that the Polynesian used on their menu, but the rough-and-scored finish on those bowls reminds me of this classic vintage bowl:

The one above was found in Tucson by Mark & Maggie of Velvet Glass, and I know that Gecko has another vintage version in Orange that he patterned his Mount Bumatay bowl after. I wonder if the same pottery company might have made the bowls for the Polynesian in Torrance?

That barrel from the Waikiki is another one I haven't seen. I bet some collector out there has it though.

Thanks,

Sabu

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy 2010-03-08 17:20 ]

On 2010-03-08 17:15, Sabu The Coconut Boy wrote:

The one above was found in Tucson by Mark & Maggie of Velvet Glass, and I know that Gecko has another vintage version in Orange that he patterned his Mount Bumatay bowl after. I wonder if the same pottery company might have made the bowls for the Polynesian in Torrance?

This is a vintage piece, not Gecko's? From the photo it looks new.

Our beautiful Bumatay bowl is most definitely an original. Gecko also confirmed it wasn't one of his.

On 2010-02-25 17:30, Sabu The Coconut Boy wrote:

I like how excited the UK collectors got when you posted those :)

I wish that postcard that bifcozz used for picture-reference was still up.

The Beachcomber cruet set might have been found but still missing are the Beachcomber mugs(far right)...

(I've had to reuse an old picture as I'm away from my regular computer)

...also missing but sighted in the Pathe Footage of the Mayfair Beachomber,are the branded glassware, the "other mug" (just visible on the row beneath the flaming mugs) and the kava bowl.

..and what do we know of this little mug in the lower right hand corner near the bottom?.....

On 2010-03-06 10:59, Dustycajun wrote:

There is also a crypto Scorpion bowl with bamboo and palm leaves on the menu that I have not seen before.

DC

Tiki Quest page 84
-Duke

On 2010-03-11 04:52, Tipsy McStagger wrote:

..and what do we know of this little mug in the lower right hand corner near the bottom?.....

Medium size of mugs on bottom of page 72 of Tiki Quest.
-Duke

On 2010-02-25 20:31, Sabu The Coconut Boy wrote:

On 2010-02-25 19:47, SilverLine wrote:

I know there are others, but I've never seen any photos anywhere in anybody's collection. I'd like to know if I have an original, but have never seen any others.

Silverline, I'm stoked that I can help you out in this case. I bid on a set of mugs and a bowl from the Outrigger Club back in 2006, but I believe Kohalacharms won the auction. They were so unique that I saved the pictures. These are the real thing and are marked with the restaurant's name. I never knew about that menu picture. I didn't even know they were from Oklahoma.

Definitely some of the rarest mugs and bowls out there and they belong in this thread.

I know another collector who has one of these in a yellow/ amber glaze. It is not marked with a restaurant name. There was also one mounted on a shelf in the dining area of the Kahiki.

On 2010-03-11 04:52, Tipsy McStagger wrote:

..and what do we know of this little mug in the lower right hand corner near the bottom?.....

..and oddly enough...i just picked one up on ebay for a lousy $5.00......the tiki mug, not the postcard.....life is weird like that.

Could this be Trader Vics Tapa Punch mug ?Petroglith

I was outbid on this today .

And what about that GOLDEN mug!? Was it perhaps part of the under-researched "Golden Tiki" phase!? :D

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=33775&forum=2

Could this possibly be the Trader Vics Honolulu Tapa Punch mug ?
I was outbid on this today .

[ Edited by: 1961surf 2010-03-11 16:07 ]

Someone asked about the TV Red Pants mug:

The height of mug minimalism! A ceramic droodle!

On 2010-03-11 15:58, 1961surf wrote:
Could this possibly be the Trader Vics Honolulu Tapa Punch mug ?
I was outbid on this today .

[ Edited by: 1961surf 2010-03-11 16:07 ]

Me too. :( Very cool mug!

On 2010-03-08 21:11, cheeky half wrote:
Our beautiful Bumatay bowl is most definitely an original. Gecko also confirmed it wasn't one of his.

It's a beauty - what a great find! I wonder; did Gecko cast molds of those feet for his Mt. Bumatay?