eBay: huge light fixture from the kahiki restaurant

I have 2 different lights for sale from the kahiki restaurant this is the first one
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=3941250925&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT
if anybody wants the letter from michael tsao about the authenticity plz email me
thanks
barry

Bdler3, since you have the ear of Michael Tsao, why don't you take the opportunity to research a few of these objects and become a bit more of a citizen of TC? It could only help you.

You might enjoy it, but to look at it from a mercinary standpoint, it might boost interest (and bids) if we knew more about the origins of things like the mask or statue you auctioned recently.

In the present case, I'd be very interested in when Tsao purchased that lamp....was it at Kahiki from day one, or added later? I believe it was bought from Orchids of Hawaii, Benson or Sea and Jungle. Perhaps you could clear that up. Posting Tsao's recollection of the original cost of such a lamp would interest those of us who collect them.

If you want to tell us something about it's history, you might add to this thread on Orchids of Hawaii lamps: http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=9865&forum=5

By the way, Dogbytes posted some great pics of lamps (including one of the style you are selling) from the Bali Hai in Lynnfield, MA here: http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=6295&forum=2&9

thanks again for your interest.
The lamp I am selling looks exactly like the one you have pictured. I asked Michael what he knew about it. He only said that as far as he knows that it was an original light from 1961 when the kahiki opened.I did research to try and figure out where in the restaurant the light was located. I finally found a picture of the lamp in the room with all the fish tanks. this lamp was over a round table. I will try my best to get info but I think michael came to the restaurant after it was already open for a couple of years. I would be interested in more info on the place in springfield mo
thanks
barry

tj, I just looked at your Aloha lamps for the first time, yep, they are all from Orchids. What a haul! I used to have that big heavy shell/tapa one, hung from a tree by my front porch. When the fumigators tented the house they broke the branch and it crashed! Arrrrgh...

The Orchids catalogue doesn't give them any names, just letters and numbers.

I had a Sea and Jungle lamp brochure once (dissappeared!?), they were really creative with their designs, one can see a few good ones at The Alibi in Portland...

I love lamps too, they are hard to find but essential for the true Tiki lounge. I have about 14 from various places like Kelbo's, The Tikis, O.A., and individual finds. Last one was from Orchids, I found it with Duke Carter in Chicago. Took it as handluggage on the plane, had to fight for keeping it because it was against regulations.

bdler3 wrote:

I finally found a picture of the lamp in the room with all the fish tanks. this lamp was over a round table.

Does this imply that you have a photo archive of the Kahiki? Oddly, there are rather few pics of it's interior here on TC. The Book of Tiki and Tiki Road Trip have some, but if you've got pics of various nooks and crannies, I know they'd be of interest here. The place to post them would be:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=4854&forum=2

I would be interested in more info on the place in springfield mo

It was called Aloha; it closed this past summer after only a year in business. It was no Kahiki...more like an East coast Chinese/tiki place with way more than the usual amount of tiki masks and lamps, but it was a good try and there were no other tiki eating or drinking establishments in any direction for hundreds of miles. Sadly, there still aren't.
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=7127&forum=2&11it
I bought nearly all the lights and decor.
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=1099&forum=5&vpost=101324
Strangely enough, the manager told me that some of Aloha's stuff came from the Kahiki. Believing this to be a tactic, I asked him how that could be. He replied that his family (large midwestern Cantonese family) knew the family that owned the Kahiki and had gotten some things from them. The timing was right - Aloha opened after Kahiki closed - but I dismissed his story because from what I knew of the Kahiki, none of this stuff, except maybe the lamps, would have been worthy. Some months later I emailed Mr Tsao and asked if he remembered sending anything to Springfield; he didn't.

Ouuch, the colors, the colors! Still, a haul is a haul! And field collecting is OK when closure and dissappearence are certain.

But maybe they meant another Kahiki (though I can't recall any), because I did not see any of this stuff at the Columbus Kahiki. It had mostly O.A. stuff, some of which also seemed to have been painted later!
Like you guessed, you have 90% Orchids there, even the wood masks and triple Ku totems. But I have never seen that framed triple Tiki on red velevet, they might have had that in some older Orchids catalogue, is there any maker ID on the back?

" Does this imply that you have a photo archive of the Kahiki? Oddly, there are rather few pics of it's interior here on TC. The Book of Tiki and Tiki Road Trip have some, but if you've got pics of various nooks and crannies, I know they'd be of interest here. The place to post them would be: "
Sorry I wish I did. I spent hours going thru every web site I could find with pictures ot the kahiki. the people that ran and owned the kahiki never saved any of the old pictures etc.

I was there when tsao had the camera crew come in and photograph every inch of the place as to where every piece was located. this was for reference for the building of the new kahiki. they said he even had the new blueprints made up. In all fairness, I dont like what happened to the kahiki, but columbus (mayor, city etc.) has not been too hospitable to the kahiki (tsao) about selling prime downtown land for it. they prefer to have the new look of columbus. SSPORTS, and concerete buildings. these people dont have a clue. but the wife and I have alot of pictures of the kahiki as it once was. we will make the time (hopefully this winter ) to make a post on it all. right now time is tight. jimmy.

bigbrotiki wrote:

Ouuch, the colors, the colors!

Yes, but one of those those things found it's bliss this past Halloween and helped introduce about 300 trick-or-treaters to Tiki:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=11628&forum=6
Yeah, a big ole' Witco mask would have been cool, but I'd have never shot oily steam through it.

But maybe they meant another Kahiki

Nope, he meant THE Kahiki, and I'll tell you why: your somewhat pervasive book. The manager had a copy of BoT and we'd looked at it together. A kind interpretation of his claim to Kahikiness is that some of the stuff really did come from somewhere in Ohio and his memory latched onto Kahiki as a name.

But I have never seen that framed triple Tiki on red velevet, they might have had that in some older Orchids catalogue, is there any maker ID on the back?

I don't have one of those things handy but I don't recall any markings other than maybe a Philippines stamp. The wood parts of the things are covered with years of something that I've assumed to be airborne kitchen grease or paint that never dried.

Bigbro, in your Witco research, have you found anything like the flat Witco-like masks I got? Here is my restoration attempt at one of them: http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=10106&forum=7&vpost=104190
Keigs tells me they are not Witco so I assume they are from one its imitators (ex-employee?). One thing that struck me is the resemblance of one of the styles (like the one I stripped) to the Witco artwork on page 252 of BoT on the artist's conception of what appears to be the front desk of a hotel.