Witco Question - sort of urgent. :)

Aloha! I just noticed 2 rather striking framed sculptures at a local shop that are in the Witco style and definitely vintage... They're of these sort of African senufo sculpture/tiki-esque maked women. Does anybody know if there are any particular markings or brands that hint at them being genuine? Thanks!

sometimes they are marked "witco" on the back in a burn-in type method.

other times.. no marks

Frenchy:
I just e-mailed you two jpg's of framed Witco sculpted figures. Hope they are helpful. For price reference, I just bought a three foot tall Witco tiki for $100 from a local antique dealer.

I just scored 2 4.5 foot tall Witco carvings (certified by sven) entitled "Melanesian Man and Woman" off ebay for $20 (I was the only bidder) thanks to the seller's not using any relevant keywords to tip off you folks :) The description was little more than "carved wood people" - who's gonna ever find that but someone board out of their mind typing in random crap?
It was just a weird stroke of luck! I'll post a pic when I get 'em.

So the Melanesian people arrived today, and they have a few more scratches on them than I could tell from the online pics but they are spectacular and BIG. I'm wondering, does anyone know if all witco carvings come in frames? These aren't in frames (turns out it's a good thing b/c of where I put 'em) and I'm wondering if someone took them out at some point.

Here's what the melanesian man of the pair looks like.. I've got them both hanging alongside a door..
http://magicmartini.com/headhunter/melanesian.htm

Your carvings look like they are the same size as the framed ones at the Hawaiian Inn. Sven probably knows if they were sold unframed. The frames at the Hawaiian Inn are both plain and carved. The sculptures are mounted against a backing that looks like white burlap. I think it would be pretty easy to frame them yourself and achieve the same look.

A lot of the Witco wall hangings were sold unframed or framed. Frenchy, are the ones kahukini got the same ones you were talking about? Otherwise you have to describe them better...
This couple was a big seller and also once marked the men's/women's restroom doors at the Leilani Lanes in Seattle (unframed).

Oh, no - they are different carvings than Kahukini's that are part of a local store's Tiki window (where they have the B.O.T. prominently displayed, I may add). I've spoken to a couple of people now that have convinced me that these aren't actual Witco. Knockoffs, certainly. Not roughly carved enough, and they don't have the 'burnt' look that exposes the wood grain. Thank goodness... didn't need to part with that $100. :)

I just made an amazing find of a witco style piece of vintage art. I have no place to put it though so I'm going to sell it on ebay. Of course I'm open to bartering too if someone wants to start up the Tiki Central Trading Post with its first transaction:

http://magicmartini.com/headhunter/witco.htm

Kahukini! You don't really want to sell the "Firedancers", do you !? They are a Witco classic, a retail staple that lasted through the 70s. Here is my simple advice:

Hold on to them until I take them of your hands when I make it to the Hukilau...

Wait til my book is out (couple of months), THEN you can make some real money with those guys...

By the way, the signature "WILRONGO" stands for the three main guys at Witco:

WIL-liam Westenhaver
RON Hovde
GO-rdon Robb

They did not really start using it til the late 60s, so the absense of it does NOT mean that it is not a Witco, it's just an early piece.

Kiliki is gonna bang her head against the wall when she reads this: I found it at the Salvation Army thrift store on greensprings. $16

Wow - what a great piece! How many electric torches would you take for it?

thanks for the offer to barter maxton! I think I'm going to hold onto it though so I can bestow it on bigbro if and when he comes to the HUKILAU in Atlanta this summer!

When is the Witco book coming out? I got a used 6' 4 pannel bar with 2 stools I'd like to sell off or barter. (deffiantly Witco!)

Did Witco ever carve such a thing as a fireplace tool holder? A relative bought this thing for me at a garage sale since it looked "kind of tiki". ( I have converted it into a tiki holder.)