Complete Tiki Spain

This is a great thread in Travelling no less.

Didn't see a link to one of the best mug sites and you can't talk
Spanish mugs without a Porcelanas Pavon link close by. It was the
biggest mug explosion of new mugs ever. It was sorta discovering
tiki again.

http://www.porcelanaspavon.com/index.htm
view the catalog

teaKEY: Why don't you show us some pictures of your mugs?

The Spanish mugs in my collection are vintage made by the original manufacturers 40 years before Porcelanas Pavon. Pavon did not created those mugs and that is why I don't refer to them. They make (not cheap) reproductions of SOME of the original mugs. There is no comparison between the quality of vintage and reproductions.
I know the complete story behind Spanish tiki culture, I knew the artists, I will show that someday, with many pictures and examples...

Aloha all

Z

Zeta, I have to agree with you on the fact that old tiki mugs are made much nicer than the new ones. I try to collect vintage tiki mugs. One thing I like the best besides the design factor is the fact that the old mugs in general with the exception of some of the coffee grog mugs are real thin and lighter in weight and it is easier to hold and drink from. I have some new mugs but usually I don't serve drinks in them, they are pretty thick, I wonder why?

On 2008-07-24 07:50, The Sperm Whale wrote:
I love this thread!! I wish the Spanish mugs were easier to obtain. I wish I could afford a trip to Spain.

Um, Sperm Whale, as Zeta said before, I live in Spain and even for me it's not easy to get spanish mugs, I mean THESE mugs Z is showing... They are really old and obscure, and they're not being made since long ago. But you always can get the Porcelanas Pavón reproductions.

And Zeta, it's true, you can get them at flea markets... if you're very lucky!

On 2008-08-14 07:36, hiltiki wrote:
Zeta, I have to agree with you on the fact that old tiki mugs are made much nicer than the new ones. I try to collect vintage tiki mugs. One thing I like the best besides the design factor is the fact that the old mugs in general with the exception of some of the coffee grog mugs are real thin and lighter in weight and it is easier to hold and drink from. I have some new mugs but usually I don't serve drinks in them, they are pretty thick, I wonder why?

Aloha caballeros!

The main difference between vintage American and Spanish mugs is that American mugs are made of clay, that's why they are lighter, Spanish mugs are made of porcelain and that's what make them heavier.

A picture of another vintage mug from my collection...
Hasta luego amigos!

Z

Zeta, thanks for the reply your collection is very interesting to me. Could you put some more pictures of mugs for us. These mugs from Spain have some of the most interesting designs.

From my collection:

One is original vintage and the other one is a fake reproduction, which one is which?

Let's see the one on the right is vintage?

The oldest is definately the one on the right, it has more grey hairs :)

¡Correcto!

Hiltiki and Cheekytiki are right! Mahalo for participating.

Somewhere in Spain...

From my humble collection...

Wawalag Menu

[ Edited by: Zeta 2009-06-08 12:01 ]

From an uncharted tiki bar somewhere in Iberia...

Spanish Mai Tais on me!

Enchanted woods...

Picture by Zeta

Signed Aku Aku

Thor in Madrid 22/5/81

Is this Tiki?

Who did it?

Gracias por participar...

I love this picture. I love that place. It's just a fried chicken joint for northern European tourists in the mediterranean coast of Spain, but with a name like that, Paradise comes to my mind.

Salou

I have never been there and I have no pictures or physical evidence of this place but I found it "surfing" the web. Maybe I will check it out using google maps street level function... Naufrago, Bastardo Saffrin, any euro out there, go check it out please! Take pictures!

Kon-tiki restaurant
Direccion: Passeig Marítim, 46
(Estartit,L´)
Torroella de Montgrí, Girona 17258
España

Here's a review of Kon-Tiki from TripAdvisor, doesn't sound too promising. No pictures or mention of tiki...

"Pictures show food like many other restaurants do (Chips, salad, meat, pizza, paella etc.) Weighters try to get you inside. I was very hungry so I ate almost half of what I got. Mixed grill (sauceges, pinchito's, ..) I tasted all, only the chips were OK (OK I'm Dutch but this food was very bad). The meat seemed to be very old. My daughter's pizza was like cardboard. Service is very slow even tough many people walk round and about.
That same night my wife and I became ill. We survived."

Gracias Trader Magnus! It sounds great! Now we need someone to go there and give us a first hand impression. Graphics are vital too! I would forgive their cooking skills for a cool logo or something like that. I never visit a (kon) tiki joint for the food, anyway. I would eat glass soup if the decor is cool!

Expedicion Ant-Tiki o La familia Milenios descubre America

Made in Spain

Bertil Almqvist (29 August 1902 Solna — 16 May 1972 Stockholm), nicknamed Bertila, was a Swedish author and illustrator famous for his World War II-era En svensk tiger propaganda poster (which was one of the most recognized symbols in Sweden around this time period) as well as his children's book series, later comic, Barna Hedenhös (The Stone Age Kids Discover America, The Stones Explore Britain). Almqvist studied literature in Stockholm and Uppsala from 1924 until 1925.

Good reading material while traveling trough Spain...

My father is a cannibal
Sten Bergman
Printed in Spain

Kontiki Playa

Marbella, 30, 07610 Playa de Palma

El Corte Inglés is Spain’s largest department store chain.
This Spanish institution is using Tikis in its summer sale advertising campaign.
As a result every major city is covered with gigantic Tiki images.

It´s a strange feeling…

Hey Sr. Castaway! I bet the publicists where inspired by your blog!
I definitely don't like the mainstream looting my favorite sub-culture. Some things are better left in the dark and only for the initiated. Oh well... If they would contribute something it would be fair game but 99.99% of the times they only dilute coolness to a lame comatose state and make a healthy profit by doing so. Happened with Graffiti, happened with skateboards, happened with punk rock...
On the other hand, old tiki temples need new pilgrim's money.

Here's a picture of a true tiki pioneer artist.

Mr. Robert Williams in Barcelona, Spain.

Vintage Postcard
Typical Spanish Exotica

Cool! How did that tie in to the building -a hotel, I assume?

Unfortunately this bar was closed when I discovered it, so I don't really know what's inside... it's located at C/ Francisco Cubells 52 in Valencia harbour area.

Found a tiki in the Desigual store at Maremagnum shopping mall, Barcelona.

On 2010-08-30 20:21, bigbrotiki wrote:
Cool! How did that tie in to the building -a hotel, I assume?

You are right Bigbro.
Spanish islanders(Canarias $ Baleares) developed their own Tiki style, closer to Tiki americano than to el tradicional Tiki español
Hawaiian art inspiration, faux lava or wood and thatch and are rarely seen on peninsular Tiki but were fairly common on the islands Tiki places

On 2008-07-17 15:28, bigbrotiki wrote:
Is it...Arte 4 ? :)

Zeta, nobody seems to be as excited about your posts as I am, so here I go:

Those Spanish designers sure liked that New Hebrides art, going further out there than many of the American mug makers of the mid-century. Here is another one from the book:

Nr. 215 New Hebrides, West-Ambrym, Large Slit Drum, Basel

But they also took the other culture group's designs, like for the giant Maori mug, the big Hawaiian wicker head, and the yellow Chicago Field Museum Tami mask mug from this book. Here is another one, harder to pinpoint, because the mug makers (unfortunately) altered the heads somewhat:

Nr. 399 Hawaiian Islands, Bracelet, Honolulu
-It was made from turtle shell. There is a better, color photo of it in one of the big new Oceanic art books, but I almost like those B&W photos better, they seem more graphic.

Found this "no daisy earrings" version of this bowl, it seems to be a more faithful representation of the original Hawaiian bracelet posted by Bigbro.

I`m curious about that color image.

Bigbro, would you be so kind...?

Mister N., that is actually the same bowl, with the difference that mine is embellished with a more detailed paint job. That's because it is a sample sent to me by P. Pavon back when I was ordering my line of Kon-Id mugs from them, and they decided to make it "extra pretty" :)

Actually that bowl was manufactured by Arte 4 and I've never seen a similar PP one.
I think its design is nearer to the original artifact you posted.
That's why I asked for a sharper image of it.
But maybe I'm being geekish and the difference is just that it suffered a severe dishwasher treatment. :)

On 2010-10-12 09:31, Mister Naufrago wrote:
Actually that bowl was manufactured by Arte 4 and I've never seen a similar PP one.

Well, they -ahem!- "shared" a lot of the molds, didn't they? :D

On 2010-10-12 12:21, bigbrotiki wrote:

On 2010-10-12 09:31, Mister Naufrago wrote:
Actually that bowl was manufactured by Arte 4 and I've never seen a similar PP one.

Well, they -ahem!- "shared" a lot of the molds, didn't they? :D

It´s all in the mold?
Anyone into Tiki mug metaphysics?

The answer is simpler than the question.
Because of the artisanal quality of the tiki mugs made in Spain there are certain things that can't be “shared” and that´s why you can find substantial differences in Spanish mugs trough the years.

Some things doesn't fit the mold.

Aloha amigos,

I have the honor of having the creator of the Original Spanish Tiki Style as a personal friend. He is 84 and a real gent. He would be happy to answer to any questions about his creations.
So go ahead and shoot, what would you ask to El Maestro?

Thank you Zeta, great to have that opportunity!

If he can remember: Why did he design the heads on this bracelet bowl like he did, different from the photo of the original ?

Thank you Bigbrotiki, your question will be replied by El Maestro soon.

Everyone else:
Help me by asking questions please. Do not remain as a silent lurker. Participate. This is important for the History of Tiki Worldwide. As the ambassador of tiki in Mexico I invite you to show more interest in super high quality Latin Tiki and participate with me now. One day it might be too late.

Gracias.

Bigbrotiki or anyone else of the tiki wise men, I have a question for you:

Who introduced receptacles for dry ice in tiki mugs?
Is it an Spanish Tiki Trademark?
I think so...

Well, yes and no: Being that Spanish Tiki Culture had a time difference of several years to American Tiki, it seems likely that the use of dry ice in volcano bowls began in the U.S., and then probably was brought over by the proprietor of the House of Ming. But the elaborate way dry ice pockets were included into the design of the Spanish mugs is unmatched by any American Tiki vessels, in fact I cannot think of one that had that specific feature.

What about the volcano bowl?
Which was the first flaming vessel cocktail?
Mai kai's mystery bowl?

Here's another big tiki ethnological question:

Have you seen the long straws in a tiki bar outside of Iberia?
I think that's another Spanish mutation...

On 2010-11-02 16:59, bigbrotiki wrote:
Thank you Zeta, great to have that opportunity!

If he can remember: Why did he design the heads on this bracelet bowl like he did, different from the photo of the original ?

El Maestro answered:

"Pasemos a la parte técnica. Me preguntas por que no hice las mascaras pequeñitas que lleva esa vasija . En primer lugar he procurado basarme en algo que tuviera sabor Polinesio , pero no hacerlo exacto, esto es, me documentaba, pero luego tenia que aplicarlo a la esclavitud que te impone la materia , en este caso la porcelana. Esas caretitas me resultaban un poco desagradables y al estar sobresalientes de la vasija hubiera tenido que hacer unos moldes por separado para componer toda la pieza lo que aumentaría el precio de la misma y las roturas en el manejo de servir lavarlas etc. hubiera supuesto que no me la comprarían. Al cliente le tenias que dar un producto que fuera bonito y funcional. Podría haber realizado otro tipo de vasijas más arriesgadas, más vistosas pero a la hora de vender todo el mundo miraba que no se rompieran, o lo menos posible . No se si me he explicado bien referente a este punto concreto."

Someone please translate.

Next question?

On 2010-11-08 17:14, Zeta wrote:
...Someone please translate.

...

Here's a rough one.

"Now comes the technical part. I wonder why I did that bears tiny masks that pot. First I tried to build on something that had a Polynesian flavor, but not make it accurate, this is, I documented, but then had to apply to slavery requires you matter in this case the porcelain. caretitas These were a bit unpleasant to me to be outstanding and the vessel would have had to make separate molds to compose the whole piece which would increase the price of the same and breaks in the management of used washing etc. would have guessed that I would buy. When he had to give customers a product that was attractive and functional. I could have made any other vessels riskier, more showy but when everyone looked to sell them from breaking, or at least possible. Do not know if I have explained well regarding this particular point. "

Hakalugi,
It is rough, but mahalo anyway. (Was it done by a robot?)

So, basically what El Maestro said is: Form follows function. Practicality. To sell more. To use less molds for each mug...

I told him about tikicentral.com sent him a link to this very thread. I am not sure if he is bilingual though. He also told me that he enjoys answering this questions, a good memory excersise that bring back vivid memories of the past. Because he loved that exotic 40 year period of his life.
He is willing to cooperate. The more we ask the more we will know.

Next Question please.

Ha, funny babblefish translation. But why ask questions if we can't read the answers?
Well, I can't really complain, I wrote both my books in English, and had somebody from the publisher do the translations into German, because I was too lazy to do it.

And the solid durability of the Spanish mugs is a hallmark of their design for sure. Here is another question. When he started out, was he aware of any of the American Tiki temples, like perhaps the Trader Vic's that had made it to Europe?

Bigbro- not when he started... all he had was some mugs and menus.

Next question?

TIKI SPAIN TRAVEL ADVICE: If you are visiting Islas Canarias, you might want to check hotel: Riu Waikiki. http://www.tripadvisor.es/ShowUserReviews-g562819-d237082-r6546122-Riu_Waikiki-Playa_del_Ingles_Grand_Canary_Canary_Islands.html

Now a really nice and super rare vintage tiki mug with TWO side pockets for double carbonic smoke curtain effect!

Maori face two side pockets original vintage 1960's

For trade or sell... TCer's first. eBay next...

Ships from the U.S. and A. North of the Right Coast near Beantown, Boston. PM me if interested. Serious collectors only.
Aloha

Beautiful Marina (photo doesn't do justice to it) by the founding father of Spanish Tiki Style...

Love the Ocean...