Is This The Elusive Cobra's Fang Mug?

Thanks for taking that shot for me in Prague Big Bro...it's kind of a haunting image, but nicely done. That Hina and the eel painting is very cool...my eye was drawn to it right away in that picture you posted of your living room. I like the way the landscape (the water and the mountains) and the figures alternate colors as the paintings story moves from left to right. I also like the way the image of the sun breaks the square of the border frame and continues on. Seeing an eel or a sea snake in a Polynesian design makes more since to me...this kinda brings up another topic which I haven't seen anybody talk about yet - the design of this Islander Cobra Fang Mug...

Though this Islander Cobra Fang Mug's design is very iconic in Polynesian Pop, it is definitely a cross over design. What's interesting to me is that this design is very classic of something Old World European / Art Nouveau. I mean, yes, you've got cross over designs from Africa and other areas of the world, and they seem to fit 'design wise' a little better in the PolyPop spectrum, but this cobra design really comes out of left field as a player. As far as I know right now, this might be the only Art Nouveau cross over image associated with Polynesian Pop? In my searches for pictures of Cobras to use as reference, I've learned a little about them. For one, they seems to be present in every corner of New Guinea, but nadda anywhere else in the rest of the Pacific island chain. Anyway, here are a just 'few' examples (there are many, many more)of some really fine snake image Art Nouveau craftsmanship...

Now this snake drum below is definitely PNG in style...it could, should, and will be made into a mug design at some point :)

Sabu, thanks for your watchful eye, now we have a name. 50.- bucks, darn! The name sounds French, so maybe the artist is from Tahiti, also. Apparently he did like Leeteg, who once he had a successful design, repeated it. One could say he stuck to his story (board)! So: WHERE are our resident Tahitian Tiki agents to look into this!? :)

Babalu: Man, Art Nouveaux, don't get me started: Just returning from Prague, THE city of Art Nouveaux architecture, my mind is still blown. I must have taken over 1000 photos. For anyone who appreciates urban archeology and architectural detail, this city is it. I still don't know where to begin to post about it...
Here is ONE shot, which relates to the snake theme:

The tip of a flagpole on the left shows a dragon that is being attacked by a snake (on the right: a frog rain gutter catch)

One more thing about the story board: This Oceanic art form from Palau was an inspiration to Die Bruecke member Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, and was used on several of Trader Vic's Tiki temples. I think its a concept that deserves further exploration by our community of talented Tiki artists!

Love the details on those buildings. In Brazil the locals referred to any venomous snake as a "cobra".

On 2010-05-04 23:00, Babalu wrote:
I have been searching for Pacific inspired snake designs lately...

Rick, from the Bower Museum;

"Mask (Tatanua) New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea. The people of New Ireland are known for their elaborate funeral rituals called Malagan ceremonies, in which highly detailed masks are worn. the mask represents the tatanua, the most important of a person's three souls which resides in the head - an important part of one's being for engaging in both the spiritual dimension and the world of daily life"

I thought I had seen all of these. I am blown away!

And just like that....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370363411515#ht_566wt_1167
(not mine nor was I a bidder)

It's the same type as the Pa'akiki one but looks to be a later casting. Pretty cool!

[ Edited by: Tattoo 2010-05-12 07:15 ]

"vase - stein?" thingee. I'll bet they were SHOCKED when it sold for almost $400! :lol:

On 2010-05-12 07:15, Tattoo wrote:
And just like that....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370363411515#ht_566wt_1167
(not mine nor was I a bidder)

It's the same type as the Pa'akiki one but looks to be a later casting. Pretty cool!

Ha! I knew that was going to happen :lol: I wonder what it would have sold for if it would have been listed (key words) along with other tiki mugs? Did a TC'er get it?

On another note: these are my latest 3 attempts - they fired out fine this time...trust, they will go for a hell-of-a lot less $$ - :lol:

This thread is awesome! Bigbro, thanks for your story about that eel painting! Very fine urban archeological art gonzo journalism report!

Not my listing...but I can't wait to see how ridiculously high these go.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/190748666696?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Awesome!

I thought I'd post just a couple more pics of this mug while I see them still..
These sold today on eBay for 727.00 for Four...

I stopped around $300.

Picked this guy up today. It looks like the one from Tiki-Ti. I think the $.99 I spent on it was a pretty swingin' deal! Vegas has been pretty good to me with Tiki stuff so far.

It says Vermonde Orig on the bottom.

I've seen some of the Don The Beachcomber bust mugs with the same marking. Could this mug have been used at Don's? Here is a picture of the drink from a menu I have from the Las Vegas location from the late 60's. No cobra mug in the pic, but maybe early on they served them in cobra mugs...just speculation.

It says Vermonde Orig on the bottom.

I've seen some of the Don The Beachcomber bust mugs with the same marking. Could this mug have been used at Don's? Here is a picture of the drink from a menu I have from the Las Vegas location from the late 60's. No cobra mug in the pic, but maybe early on they served them in cobra mugs...just speculation.

WOW!!! Yes, I have seen that mug at the Tiki Ti - or at least on their video loop for the Cobra Fang mug. The Vermonde mark for sure matches the Don the Beachcomber bust mug and the elusive Bamboo mug.

So yes, I have to agree with you that this is most likely the Don the Beachcomber Cobra Fang mug. And it makes sense that the Tiki Ti would have one since Ray Buhen used to work for Don the Beachcomber. Awesome find and congrats.

On 2014-08-03 21:51, Tattoo wrote:

So yes, I have to agree with you that this is most likely the Don the Beachcomber Cobra Fang mug. And it makes sense that the Tiki Ti would have one since Ray Buhen used to work for Don the Beachcomber. Awesome find and congrats.

Thanks Tattoo! I knew I had seen it somewhere. It was really funny when I read your response to my better half. You should have seen the look on her face. My giddiness over finding the mug was plenty well justified.