Help identifying source of Tiki mask?

I'm trying to find the original source for the design of this large mask, which Benson's Tropical Sea Imports has been carrying for ages:

In their catalog, website, and ebay they call it variously "Formosa Delta Mask," "Formosa River Mask," "Sepik River Tiki Mask," and "Polynesian Mask." They've made versions of it both in plastic and wood. The plastic version is shown above and the wood version (damaged in this photo) is shown below.

I know most of their masks (like those at Oceanic Arts) either recreate or echo existing artifacts from the South Pacific. I'm curious as to the original source material for this one, and what the original looked like. Does it show up in some museum exhibition catalog?

I purchased the busted up wood version shown above, and repairing it will mean painting it. I'd like to paint it to look more-or-less like the original, assuming something original actually exists (or existed). This is far from the best mask in my collection, but I got it for a great price, so I might as well do what I can with it.

Chris

I searched the internet for arrow nosed tikis. This is the only thing that popped up. It's not much help but maybe it will lead you to something helpful.

http://www.ooga-mooga.com/cgi-bin/all/mug.cgi?mode=view&mug_id=2675

If the original is anywhere, it's in this book (in B&W):

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=42034&forum=1&vpost=621592

You can get it fairly cheap here:

http://www.amazon.com//gp/offer-listing/B0000CIZSF/sr=/qid=/?condition=used&tag=bkfndr84-b-20

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2016-02-16 23:16 ]

my opinion those are homages to Melanesian masks.
http://www.melanesianarts.com.pg/masks.htm

in particular the style second row from bottom.

Well, if you look at the above mentioned Oceanic Arts book, and compare it to the Bensons/O.A. masks, they are straight copies of Melanesian masks.

On 2016-02-17 15:28, bigbrotiki wrote:
Well, if you look at the above mentioned Oceanic Arts book, and compare it to the Bensons/O.A. masks, they are straight copies of Melanesian masks.

personally I mistook the Oceanic Arts book AS the Bensons catalog because I didn't read closely enough. That whole book thread was worth reading folks.

Thank you all!

bigbrotiki: I did see that excellent thread, but then foolishly never got around to purchasing the book. I will order it now through Amazon. Hopefully, I'll at least get an idea of the way the mask was painted. Knowing its origin at least gives me clues about the palette I'm working with.

[ Edited by: SpaceAgeCity 2016-02-17 18:52 ]

Here is the same mask painted over from the Kahiki thread here on TC.

On 2016-02-17 21:53, hiltiki wrote:
Here is the same mask painted over from the Kahiki thread here on TC.

Wow! Very Disney-fied! Thanks for sharing that.

On 2016-02-17 22:03, SpaceAgeCity wrote:

Wow! Very Disney-fied! Thanks for sharing that.

Exactly. The above paint job hails no doubt from the late Kahiki period, and is like all clown-Tiki paint jobs a sign of Tiki devolution. Proprietors felt they needed to spruce up business, and, fearing the gods they had once conjured, wanted to cover up the dark brown, brooding countenance of their carvings. Their workmen let their imagination soar, which unfortunately had nothing to do with the earthen, muted tones the tribal artists used. This lead to horrible mistakes such as this Tiki, available at the Kahiki sale:

Thus, the above is not really a good color example to go by in my opinion.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2016-02-18 19:23 ]

Wasn't planning on using the Kahiki mask as a guide. But it (along with that sadly abused Tiki you posted) makes for an interesting/sad slice of Polynesian Pop history.

Color schemes I HAD considered copying include THIS sort of thing...

(I don't remember where I got those images. I just cut and paste stuff for reference sometimes.)

Chris

[ Edited by: SpaceAgeCity 2016-02-18 23:45 ]

Dark brown paint might help this unfortunate character?

The paint on that mask is kinda muted compared to the tiki.
I think it may have been done before the neon look.

Plus it is made of plaster so it may have been a total remake.
Got it for a really low price.

Do not like the new paint jobs that is for sure, but in the low light of the Kahiki
the gaudy paint did not show as much.
Still bad though.

And I would just sand and use paint remover to undo that paint job on that large tiki.

But then it sold for lots so maybe the buyer would not do that.

Remember the "paint" that the real stuff that is replicated on these items
is made from is Charcoal, the red can be from clays forget what the white is from but maybe
a lime or other white ground up stone.
They would even smoke the items to get a darker look.

So if you think in a way that they did you can get closer to the old look you seek.

On 2016-02-18 23:45, SpaceAgeCity wrote:
Color schemes I HAD considered copying include THIS sort of thing…

Chris

Exactly!

On 2016-02-16 23:13, bigbrotiki wrote:
If the original is anywhere, it's in this book (in B&W):
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=42034&forum=1&vpost=621592
You can get it fairly cheap here:
http://www.amazon.com//gp/offer-listing/B0000CIZSF/sr=/qid=/?condition=used&tag=bkfndr84-b-20

Thank you, my friend. The Hewicker and Tischner book arrived today, and although my mystery mask isn't in there, I'm SO glad to finally have this book in my library. So many of these artifacts are like "old friends" -- even though I've only met their doppelgangers until now. And although the images are black and white, the captions describe the color schemes and other details. Wonderful stuff!

Chris