North Pacific

The PNG art influence on Spanish Tiki is a known fact and has been discussed here before.
But early Spanish mug makers also took other cultural groups art as a source of inspiration.
Mostly South Pacific cultures, but some from the northern part of the Pacific Ocean too.

Maybe this would fit better in the Pop Primitivism thread, but since this mugs were used in Tiki Bars to serve tasty combinados hawaianos, I feel it is part of Spanish Tikidom (but I don´t want to start a new discussion about the right definition of Tiki Style :))

Some american “Tiki” designs that seems to have this same North Pacific origin.

From Zeta´s collection.

Cool Topic!
Welcome back Sr. Castaway! I missed you amigo!

Your theory is shoking and very possibly correct, but I think That famous Jumbo bizzare mug you posted above is inspired by this piece

On 2010-02-06 21:22, Zeta wrote:
1998 Art of the Pacific by Anne D'Alleva

Muy bueno!

What I am sure of, is that the Mug posted above, was done by the artist around 40 years ago, with the Tiki intent, Polinesian spirit... South Sea Exotic. That I can assure you. The artist who created the two of the mugs above knew what he was doing. And didn't screw up and did the Classic beginner cheapo artistic mistake of copying African, Indonesian or Aztec art thinking it was Polinesian.

When I met their creator, I asked him if everything in his work had been inspired by oceanic art and he said yes. I questioned him about other primitive art sources of inspiration and influences that I saw in his work. He explained: I would only take one element from here or an element from there (African, Eskimo, Aztec or others) and adapt it to the piece The mugs with a complete non-oceanic style mugs where rare cases. He was really a purist and took pride in the authenticity of his work. He loved what he did. He loved the style, He loved art from PNG.

With the "Alaska Dog Face" Mug, the rara avis also posted above (from my humble collection 8) ) I have no explanation of why the artist did it and I don't think there ever was an Alaskan bar in Spain, but who knows? maybe... a unique example of the North Pacific Style... I really think totems are cousins of tikis. This Spanish artist unknown genius and unsung hero knew no boundaries or stylistic paradigms about how a Polinesian bar should look like... Singlehandedly he reinvented the style with an Iberia twist.

The mug was purchased from moi in an big old porcelain shop in Madrid. Years later I bought another one from the Internet labeled as Porcelana exotica. (so if you want to trade, let me know)

The thing with Spanish Tikidom is that it's just different. Spain is different, therefore Spanish Tiki Bars are different. There where Hawaiian, Polinesian and Melanesian bars... there where Indonesian bars (with unique mug designs!) There where copycats, Jimmy Buffets, etc... but different.

Like

Looking at the protruding lines around the nose and eyes, they look exactly like the North-Pacific mask Mister N. posted. I would never view this as a "mistake", it just generally confirms that Tiki Style was part of Polynesian pop, yes, but it was also part of Pop Primitivism, as I tried to explain in Tiki Modern: The 60s (and the 70s) saw an unprecedented appreciation of ALL Primitive Art, in America and in Europe, and artists all over took inspiration from a variety of native cultures. The fact that the iconic Tiki Bob Tiki is based on an African mask is programmatic for the fantasy world that Tiki Style was.

The exposed, clenched teeth motif is not only a mark of Tiki, but appears in all kinds of primitive art and artifacts, like these Maori heads:

This death-grin (and the protruding lines mentioned above) hail from the human skull:

It has to do with the widespread Pacific tribal custom of ancestor worship and head hunting, in which the skulls of the deceased and of the vanquished were kept as the seat of mana, for ritualistic purposes.

Decorated skull relics were not only used in the South Seas...

but also in Catholic churches:

(this one I photographed in Southern Bavaria)

The KORVAR statue that Zeta posted above are one of the more curious examples of the South Sea skull worship custom: They are built to hold a human skull inside the carved head of the statue:

That's all, folks! :D

Hola Zeta

It´s always a pleasure to discuss this kind of issues with you.

Impresive pictures Bigbro.I always thought that Spanish and Italian catholics were the Morbid Art Supreme Masters.
Loved the skull lecture too

On 2010-04-19 03:02, bigbrotiki wrote:
but also in Catholic churches:

(this one I photographed in Southern Bavaria)

That's all, folks! :D

I´m still curious about the Hawaiian Inn mug.
Northern Pacific primitive art inspiration too?
There are more classic "Tiki" art sharing this origin?

On 2010-04-19 11:25, Mister Naufrago wrote:
I´m still curious about the Hawaiian Inn mug.

I know...especially since he made the cover of TIKI QUEST!

I believe you are not too far off with your suggestion of origin, Mr. N.

I must admit I have not thought too much in the direction of North Pacific art in Tiki culture, but I don't think there is enough of it to make a mark, not like Melanesian art. At least I did not notice it. Which does not say there isn't, and that the subject isn't an interesting avenue to explore further: Does anyone have any other examples?

I know the Surrealists were fond of it, and Oceanic Arts has a couple of great Eskimo masks in their warehouse.

On 2010-04-19 13:14, bigbrotiki wrote:
... Does anyone have any other examples?
...

It looks like there once was a rather large PNW carving in the Oakland Trader Vic's gift shop:

These photos were posted by Trad'r Bill in the Oakland Trader Vic's thread:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=33629&forum=2&start=15

From SF Public Library:

SFPL archive again:

A lot of people count this mug among their collection. It even made it into Tiki Quest (pg. 62). There's no doubt that its design is based on Pacific Northwest art, I think specifically Haida. You can find coffee cups, tea pots, cream & sugar containers, and who knows what else with this design. I'm also reminded of this thread from a while back:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=33162&forum=5&hilite=haida
I can't seem to get the photo in questions to come up, but it looked like Witco's version of this type of art, if that ever happened.

But the above mug is clearly a North Pacific Indian mug, not made for a Polynesian restaurant, while the Hawaiian Inn one is a Tiki mug with North Pacific art influences.

Trader Vic always had the excuse of being a Pacific TRADER, of course, and thus dealing in all kinds of Primitiva Exotica.

While at the Butlin's Holiday camps' Beachcombers, the most likely reason to employ the totem poles seen below was the unavailability of Polynesian carvings. :)

On 2010-04-20 04:45, bigbrotiki wrote:
But the above mug is clearly a North Pacific Indian mug, not made for a Polynesian restaurant, while the Hawaiian Inn one is a Tiki mug with North Pacific art influences.

Yeah, I see your point! I can't think of another example in the same vein as the Hawaiian Inn mug, although I'm sure there are lots of examples of the use of PNW or Native American art in general in Tiki establishments. Here's something from my collection that hung in Edmonton's Tiki Tiki:

I don't want to derail this thread, but I do think it's an interesting subject with potential for exploration along the same lines as the "Jungle-Style/Dark Continent" thread (as long as the focus remains its ties to Tiki culture especially in the classic era). Is it unavailability of authentic or even reproduced Polynesian art? Or is it that the proprietors or the public failed to distinguish the difference between primitive artforms?

On 2010-04-20 14:44, Brandomoai wrote:
Is it unavailability of authentic or even reproduced Polynesian art? Or is it that the proprietors or the public failed to distinguish the difference between primitive artforms?

I think it is both of these, PLUS the one mentioned above that applies to the Spanish and Florida mugs: The designers drew inspiration from all sorts of primitive art: Polynesian, Melanesian, African, and Pacific Northwest. But in my opinion, the latter was so rarely used that I believe its influence is negligible. I'd love to be proven wrong though.

On 2010-04-21 00:10, bigbrotiki wrote:

On 2010-04-20 14:44, Brandomoai wrote:
Is it unavailability of authentic or even reproduced Polynesian art? Or is it that the proprietors or the public failed to distinguish the difference between primitive artforms?

I think it is both of these, PLUS the one mentioned above that applies to the Spanish and Florida mugs: The designers drew inspiration from all sorts of primitive art: Polynesian, Melanesian, African, and Pacific Northwest. But in my opinion, the latter was so rarely used that I believe its influence is negligible. I'd love to be proven wrong though.

I totally agree Bigbro.
I confess that I opened this thread on impulse, but now I'm starting to find out that this Pacific Norhtwest influence is of more importance than I first thought.
I cant help feeling curiosity about the issue.

Hawaii Kai teapot set (image from LOL Tiki collection)

Postcard uploaded by Taboo Dan here http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=29014&forum=5&hilite=canadian%20tiki

Interesting discussion. I had some similiar thoughts while watching the Vancouver Olympics with their tribal totem poles. Struck me as at least slightly reminiscent of Tikis.

On 2010-04-21 13:53, JackLord wrote:
Interesting discussion. I had some similiar thoughts while watching the Vancouver Olympics with their tribal totem poles. Struck me as at least slightly reminiscent of Tikis.

I agree with you. Sometimes it´s hard to tell the difference, at least for a dilettante like me.

Are there any PNW art inspired Witcos?
I think I remember seeing some, but can´t remember where.

Here's one:

From the Witco thread:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=20416&forum=5&vpost=380288

Thanks Brandomoai.
I found a different picture. I suppose it´s from the same thread, but I´m not sure.

Must confess I was specting something different when I asked for PNW art inspired Witco.

[ Edited by: Mister Naufrago 2010-05-03 06:19 ]

[ Edited by: Mister Naufrago 2010-05-03 06:20 ]