wondering about the tile divider walls

While looking through Puamana's beautiful website I noticed the Asian looking tiles graphic used on the left hand side of the front page of the website. I've seen them used as screening for the waiting area from the dinning seating area of restaurant or bar area, but what are they called, and where would one purchase some?

I believe Bob & Leroy at Oceanic Arts said they were called "Jade Tiles" and they were imported from China back in the day. They show up in a lot of my old Tiki Postcards. Oceanic Arts used to carry them a long time ago but don't anymore. I'm not sure where you'd find them nowadays.

Sabu

i have some from the kon tiki in cleveland ,closed in '76

I was always curious, too, about this staple of Tiki bar decor. I have no proof, but I believe they entered Polynesian pop as part of the "Trader style", (which began with Trader Vic), and were akin to the those big Chinese-lettered bundles that some Trader Vic's had as decor.
OR: Since Don The Beachcomber started the trend with modified Chinese cuisine, maybe they were a covenient cross-over item from that theme...

good point Bigbro. I've always liked the looks of them. I think they would be cool to use. I wonder I asked around China Twon here in the city..
Tiki David you astound me more and more with the artifacts you have!

really? why is that?

We were at Oceanic Arts yesterday, and they had several cases of these tiles. The price was $36 each, or $32 each if you buy 10 or more.

What are those tiles actually made out of? I've seen them before at Trader Vic's, and always wondered what they were.

I am pretty sure those are made of ceramics!

This morning I was just on a site called looseends.com that someone had mentioned on this forum previously. On there they had jade stone tiles, 12x12 for $9.50. Lots of bamboo and other cool stuff on this site.

thanks everyone for you help.

mine are ceramic.

This is the "jade tile" that they sell at Oceanic Arts. They are ceramic.

It's a little less ornate, but the same design as the tiles at La Mariana.

you are right ...kinda plain.mine are just like the ones at MIA KIA. lots of details

Hmmm...seems the molds for these turned "globby" the same way many repeatedly produced Tiki mugs did. The devolution of Asian ceramics mass production...

I mean they are still nice, yet...