Artifacts from KonTiki, Cleveland

TIKI Fans,
I have found one of the two outrigger canoes from the KonTiki Cleveland which closed in 1976. Is This a find?

I also have a lot of the wooden carved wood trim which includes tiki faces and bodies some with mother of pearl eyes. Excellent condition.

Also scored, The Witco Bar which is featured on page 9 of the Book of Tiki. Is this a find?

Hey guys, did I score or what.

Uh... uh... um... wha...

Don't Know. Need to see Pix.

It sure sounds like a find. Do tell, was it all from one source? A shop, someone's estate, a bar that closed down? As you know, we here at Tiki Central are as much interested in the HISTORY of Polynesian Pop artifacts as we are in the objects themselves. Would we not know who Stephen Crane was, we would care less for these items (isn't that right, kids ??!).

But to have found ANYTHING from his Luau/Kon Tiki empire is an important urban archeological discovery.

Do the outriggers say "Kon-Tiki" in the Kon-Tiki font on the bow? Are those inlaid eyes on Maori wall panels? And how does a WITCO bar fit into this scheme?

Off course, photos would be best...

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki on 2004-04-05 00:16 ]

HELLO

HI TIKI FANS,
Due to technical cliches, our new name is TIKI DAVID, we use to be CCF TIKI.

Answers to your previous questions,
The outrigger's name is "Surf Rider" it is
12 ft. long and carved out of a single log.
It has the orginial ropes on it that hung from the ceiling of the KonTiki in Cleveland.

We also have many hand carved panels with Tiki heads and symbols. Many beauties!
What a find!!!

Does anyone out there have photos from the KonTiki Cleveland? Inside and outside would be great! Would love to see how these panels were originaly used.

Have 2 panels dark wood 18" 7' with 3 tiki figures inlaid mother of pearl eyes with out reaching arms and circular forms inbetween

The WITCO bar was not part of KONTIKI but was bought at the same estate,i was going to break it up for the tiki side posts until i bought the BOOK OF TIKI and there it was on page 9.My question is the loepard fabric is a little dry with couple "small" bald spots ,would i devlue it by recovering it? I am new to WITCO so please help. thanks

There is a large contingent here at Tiki Central that absolutely believes in vintage authentic mid-century Tiki. So if the fabric is acceptable, leave it! It will be more valuable, especially after "The Book of WITCO" by that famous Tiki author comes out (whenever THAT will be..).
Glad to hear to hear the Book of Tiki saved yet another artifact from destruction.

Do you have any info about the person whose estate you bough this stuff from, how he obtained the Kon-Tiki pieces?
Sounds like the kind of estate sale we all dream of...

I have no pix of the Cleveland Kon-Tiki unfortunately, but some one else here might.

PICS ARE COMING SOON. ANY TOUGHTS ON THE OUTRIGGER IT'S TO BIG FOR MY PLACE ,IT NEEDS TO BE INSIDE

[ Edited by: Johnny Dollar on 2004-04-07 10:14 ]

[ Edited by: TIKI DAVID on 2004-04-07 15:34 ]

:)

[ Edited by: Johnny Dollar on 2004-04-08 06:45 ]

We had looked at a canoe for Hale Tiki, but current budget made that not happen. Brad might be interested. Maybe not. But it would be great to have it in a bar.

What were they asking for it .I have no idea of it's worth.I was going to use it as a beer and ice cooler on the deck for partys ,but thought it was just to nice a piece for that.

I know I would give it a nice and safe home. I will even come out to Ohio from Chicago to pick it up. Love to see some pics of the finds.

Hello ,Tikijunkman, was that an offer to buy ,trade or adopt?

What gives...no photo's or prices???

pics comong soon,(hopefully sat. 4-10-04 afternoon)as for prices don't know the value . hopeing to get some help with that here,but.......

hey Tiki David

In response to your message: Hello ,Tikijunkman, was that an offer to buy ,trade or adopt?

Most likely adopt or trade. I have been reading your posts lately on this new find of yours. I think you are looking for a specific price that your items are worth but that is really hard to do. To most people in the general population, tiki stuff is not a sought after commodity (from my experience). To most people on this board, it is highly prized... not in the sense of money but in the sense of preservation, sharing, and documenting. I just don't think that you are going to find a post giving you a price for your items. I would really love to see some pics and want to give you a big congrats on your find!

tj

i am happy to say that the pics are now on at the "repro WITCO bar post

Could this be the outrigger, hanging in this picture?

if that is KON-TIKI cleveland then yes it is

I'm thinking selling the outrigger canoe,any body interested? TD

what do you want for it?

you are a carver just south of me? in columbus?well i might be up for some kind of trade. TD

The canoes and large items like that are very hard to sell. They are simply too large for most to use. A bar could use it, but not much else. For the authentic stuff, an occasional museum will buy, but, that's also rare.

trade? I dig trades. lets talk.

Yea I gotta agree with the statement "Large tiki items are tough to sell", I've also been told that "there is no established value on large Tiki items as there are on mugs".
I've had some offers on my stuff from here in PA, However as it is not from a large national chain its really hard to get any sort of provances, or proof that they are from where I say they are. I have hunted antique stores, flea markets and talked to other peoples folks that have been in the area.
Unfortunatly it seems that most smaller/local tiki/polynesian resturaunts that are gone are just that gone, lost from collective memory (look into the red light)
We recently threw a baby shower for a close freind and her husband and were told about the "Hu Ke Lua" somewhere near pittsburgh, I have a highball glass from there and thats it, no info other than that someone had been there a long time ago.
As far as the Connely Inn where I got my large tikis I have no pics or memorys from anyone to back it up.
Good luch with yer find its awsome!
Jay from Pittsburgh

i also have two of the hu ke lau highballs (red and yellow with palm trees on them?)i got them at a flea market in west virginia , ive been wondering about this too.

well, i am very ,very, sure that this stuff is the long lost artifacts of KON TIKI cleveland TD