Young and Old Pele Ashtray

Hi, I'm new here and this is my first post. I Found this ashtray(I'd hate to see it be used as that)and have done a better than average amount of research looking for another of its kind and/or any information regarding the subject. At last I found one(kinda disappointed, thought maybe I had the only one:),in Bay Park Buzzy's incredible collection. I really like the piece and was hoping someone here can tell me more about it. It seems to be really hard to find. Thanks in advance for any help.

Well obviously it's a Coco Joe Pele, Buzzy will know more about it
It appears to be from the 60s or 70s, Coco Joe's were made for the Hawaiian tourist market
so no one-offs as far as I know.

Catalog #210 Madame Pele

Last one I saw on ebay was in July, and it went for about $6 plus shipping. I've seen it go as high as $30+, It averages around $15-20. It's from the 60's.

Here's the tag:

I'd clean it with some beeswax wood wax. Make it shine like new.
Buzzy Out!

Beautiful...wonderful first post...welcome to Tiki Central.

It boggles the mind that a nice sculpt like that was seemly intended to be used as an ashtray. But it does look like they've integrated notches to hold cigarettes into the design.

I guess as some degree, it's "interactive" art as Mme Pele gets buried in ash.
But it would seem more appropriate to treat Brezhnev as an ashtray.

[edit]
dang it Buzzy, don't leave us hanging, your picture of the tag cuts off with "The sighting always precedences an" what's the rest of the Coco Joe's story?!!

[ Edited by: Philot 2012-10-05 11:35 ]

...eruption.

Buzzy Out!