Tiki Archeology Challenge - Place This Mystery Moai

I recently acquired this snapshot with no identifying marks of any kind. Anyone have any ideas where it might be from? The fact that the Moai is carved from a palm stump and there's an agave plant in the background would indicate a warm climate. I'm guessing California, Florida or Hawaii. Although the fact that the woman is not dressed in aloha garb makes me think it might not be Hawaii.

The moai looks freshly carved and he is painted in earthy tones instead of the garish "clown" painting that came later in the 70s & 80s. Anyone remember a location with similarly painted tikis? There's a palapa hut above the bench, leading me to believe this was a themed location like Tiki Gardens and not a restaurant.

How about the species of the palm and the agave plant? Would that help pin it down any?

Ok, Tiki-brethren. I'm relying on you to help me place this tiki.

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy 2010-10-13 22:33 ]

I'd say Disneyland, somewhere in Adventureland.

Well, that has to be 50's Florida.

On 2010-10-13 22:38, bigbrotiki wrote:
I'd say Disneyland, somewhere in Adventureland.

Agave and California, that makes sence.

Agave plants at Disneyland ?
Rock on Walter!!

[ Edited by: Phillip Roberts 2010-10-14 00:09 ]

Ok, Florida!

[ Edited by: Unga Bunga 2010-10-14 01:25 ]

The overall Light value, and the sunglasses, point to more southern locales.... I'm going to say California.

She looks like a Mom so her fashions would be just a wee bit out of date with what was current making the Tiki being painted sort of jive with the style of her outfit.

And the Tiki looks like it might have been carved and then placed on that stump, and not actually carved in place. The stump looks like concrete.

And, if you look behind the bench there is what looks like an Umbrella Plant (http://www.plant-care.com/schefflera-arboricola.html) and even the dwarf variety grows to 20 feet or more here in Florida. The sample behind the bench is nice and small.

That is my two cents worth of photo archeology.

I'm gonna guess it's from a Zoo? Probably not the one that was pictured here and lost in the Shutterfly Massacre but maybe the old L.A. Zoo or the early days of the current L.A. Zoo, the San Diego Zoo or Wild Animal Park?

Aloha Sabu, right off the top of my head, it looks to be a “phoenix canariensis” judging by the leaf bases remaining on the stump/ trunk and the size, they are very common here in California, but you also see a lot of them in Florida. Chip and Andy it does not look to me like it was added to the stump as that is just a huge amount of work.
On the one hand I would disagree with Sven as if it was Disneyland we should have run into this piece before. On the other phoenix is terrible for caving it wouldn’t last too many years and this one is still connected to the roots meaning all kinds of rot is going to spread up into the wood shortening its life that much more rapidly.
I can’t tell if that’s an agave probably CA or pandanus probably FL, both would be terrible to plant near a walk way like pictured.
It looks to me like I see magenta flowers as in bouganvilla on the bottom right quarter, grows on both areas?
Boris, not Wild Animal Park or the SD Zoo, no Polynesian anything there that I have ever seen.
It is amazing how it was cropped just so you don’t see the one thing that that could actually place it.

Hope this helps,

Bosko

If it was in an animal park or zoo, does that make it an "Africanized" Moai? The painting seems to suggest this. Usually it's African art that is mistaken for Tiki rather than the other way around.

Reminds me of something that would have been at Busch Gardens in Tampa back in the day...

I dont think this is a theme park like Bush Gardens or Disney.

Maybe an offbeat tourist attraction similiar to Weeki Wachee or SilverSprings both in FL..it has that vibe (at least to me !)

world's fair???

I think Sven hit it right on, Disneyland.

Take a look at this image from classic Adventureland back in the day...

and then overlay Sabu's pic...it's a perfect fit, almost down to ths exact same angle the picture was take.

• The benches are right
• Tikis were placed between the benches
• The thach umbrellas are correct
• The angle of the shot is almost the same, leads me to believe it was a great picture taking spot along the benches.
• Bosko's description of the potential for rot explains why it may not have lasted too long, hence not much in the way of visul documentation.

My final verdict, somewhere along the path between the Jungle Cruise and the Adventurelnad Pavillion.

Zulu

ZuluMagoo,

I think you hit a home run on that one, great research. Cool to see the old Tikis at Disneyland.

DC

The palm pattern of the stump does not look like a FL palm. I would go with early Disneyland.

Wow Zulu - Looks like you and Sven nailed it. Very nice photo-forensics there!

I admit that I was doubting Sven last night, even though I found the following evidence in his favor:

The first picture is old concept art for the Tahitian Terrace at Disneyland, painted in 1962. The way the moais are carved is completely different from the photo, but the face painting is very similar. It makes sense that if a designer at Disneyland had access to the concept art, he/she might have painted the Moai to match it. But I still wanted it to be Sea World or Marineland or some Botanical Garden. Somewhere more obscure.

Sorry I doubted you, Sven! Nice work Zulu!

Thanks everyone else for your input as well. Some very good insights from all.

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy 2010-10-14 13:23 ]

The real clincher for me is those white planter-border stones behind the bench in both pictures. Even if that style bench had been used (with palapa umbrellas) in more than one theme park, those stones really nail it down.

Man, you guys are good! Now use your skills to find Soccertiki's missing tikis.

Wow, you guys are good.

I didn't think of looking before but over on Gorillas Don't Blog (Excellent Blog by the way) there is a shot of the Moai from another angle.

Image "Borrowed" from Gorillas Don't Blog.

Case Closed!

Great post Sabu! :D

Nicely done Zulu! :D

Man I so didn't think that was Disney!! Sabu and Zulu you are awesome!

Now the big question...what happened to the tiki...

[ Edited by: leleliz 2010-10-14 21:46 ]

Sweet!

Thanks, Boris!

Disneyland 1956 (Sven, is this your dad?)

AND...there was another one...

Jungle Cruise entrance on the left.

Slightly different colors...

[ Edited by: Miehana 2010-10-14 22:14 ]

And in comes Kev to put the final nail into the coffin! Now the bigger question, after recently turning out those incredible "vessels" for current and future release(My personal fave, is ChickenoftheSea Pirate Ship)....When are you planning to implement these rare and obscure treasures into another fantastic collectible? :D

Man! This thread just keeps getting better and better.

Thanks, Kevin for sharing some of your archive. I bow to your overwhelming knowledge of Disneyland tiki!

So since the 1956 photo pre-dates my concept art of the Tahitian Terrace by Paul Hartley, circa 1962, he must have been inspired by these moai already scattered around Adventureland instead of vice-versa.

Sabu

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy 2010-10-14 22:25 ]

Sabu, if you'd alerted me sooner, I could've saved you all the trouble --but I'm sure the detective work was fun! And yes, you're correct about Paul Hartley's influences.
Tom, we included the Cook Isle tiki (pictured earlier in this thread) in our set of DL giclees for the 55th this year:

And, though we made sketches of the Moai, he didn't make the cut, unfortunately!

NEXT time!

[ Edited by: Miehana 2010-10-14 22:48 ]

This is precisely the sort of wisdom and insight so eagerly desired at, say, Hukilau 2011. :) (KK: There's a thread on the Hukilau's FB page where a great clamor has arisen asking for KK&JD to return to the Hukilau with some kind of seminary-ish something.)

-J.

[ Edited by: jokeiii 2010-10-15 15:09 ]

Another classis thread Sabu!

I did some internet digging for more photos,
Apparently Disney employees got some cool perks, like free E tickets.

Addendum;
It kinda looks like he's been hitin' that Agave plant.

[ Edited by: Unga Bunga 2010-10-15 22:05 ]

Hey!

That's Austin Perryman! I wonder what he's bringin' to Disneyland.

Here's another nice shot from Gorillas Don't Blog. It's a great site.

I was always intrigued by the second Tiki featured in this thread - the one on the left - that helped solve the mystery.

I dug up some photos of that Tiki from various locations on the web. It looks there were at least two different versions located within the park.

Did Eli Hedley carve these?

DC

Come on Dusty Cajun! :roll:

On 2013-03-16 09:13, Bora Boris wrote:
It's Mysterious Tiki "X" as seen here and here.

On 2005-01-19 13:20, Aaron's Akua wrote:

According to Bob at Oceanic Arts, it's a replica of a Cook Islands tiki that was carved in Samoa, then imported by "Cargoes by Carter" to the U.S.

Doug Horne did a great version of Bongofury's Tiki X.

Boris,

I guess Dusty was a little rusty on that one! Thanks for the link. Here is another photo of the Mysterious X Tiki at the Happiest Place on Earth.

DC

The Big MOAI is in this home movie 1957. So perhaps he is a DL charter member lol. It would also just be a guess there was only 1 moai and they moved him around.
You will see the moai around :45 At the beginning.
http://youtu.be/v3Vcr2Zc-Ek

http://hiphipahula.com/

m

[ Edited by: Hiphipahula 2015-05-01 19:36 ]

As far as the Cargo's by Carter Marquesan tiki's I believe there were at least 3 of them, 2 Non-Painted at the entrance to Adventureland and one 1 maybe even more at a rest area near or on the side of the ETR. I acquired my same tiki a few years ago it came from the estate of Nicholas Cage. Nick had brokers find his tiki's for his back yard and they were all pedigree. I also acquired a Bumatay and a huge Moai. Still have not figured out where he came from but he was a water feature.
Here is my C by C DL tiki.

I picked up a postcard at the paper show yesterday from the Jungle Ride at Disneyland that shows the old Tiki hut and Outrigger that were once part of the ride. And who should be lurking off to the side?

It looks like a cousin to the Mysterious Tiki X. A different style but same carving techniques.

And here is another Tiki (the Disney Moai) that was also located near the Tiki hut on the Jungle Cruise.

DC

A few more photos of the mystery Moai Tiki X and from ebay.

Looks like the family all got their cool straw hats at the Tikis Tropical Imports store for this photo!

DC

Another photo of the colorful Disneyland Tiki in front of the Jungle Cruise.

And a B & W of the other Tiki.

DC