Mai Kai velvet panel...

Just spied this on ebay,
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2116829452

Has a reserve, but still a cool item. Not something you see everyday.

TG

They're mistaken if they think it's the Mai Kai. The Mai Kai has one large A-frame building with long flat-roofed extensions off it, a smaller side building for banquets, and a few small "shacks" for storage. But the painting shows multiple buildings (like a village). And the large tiki in the foreground in the painting doesn't exist at the Mai Kai. It's a great black velvet anyway and I would love to have it.

Their friend must have gotten that info from The Book of Tiki, because that's where you find it on page 136. It is actually copied from a beautiful rendering of the Mai Kai that appeared in restaurant guides and on postcards (there are several versions, changing with the MAI KAI's expansion, the later ones got extra long) I was torn between using that rendering or the velvet (no space for both) but since I used that very early rendering below, I opted for the velvet. If you look at the three posts that are to the right of the Tiki, that's where the MAI KAI sign sits in the postcards.
I don't believe the velvets were done FOR the MAI KAI (no sign, the Tiki was changed, buildings added), someone just copied the motif to make a "Tropical Village" painting. The technique of the piece is strange, the lines are so thin that it must have been drawn with pens on the velvet (or, more likely since it is mass produced, imprinted)

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki on 2002-07-03 11:53 ]

I was on eBay a few weeks ago and noticed this velvet painting. I think that this post was started to discuss this same painting about a year ago. The link on the first post does not work anymore, but this new link will show anyone interested what this painting looks like. I was wondering if anyone knows how many of these where made or how hard this velvet painting is to find? This is the first time I have seen it on eBay. I was also wondering if anyone has a picture of the "original" rendering that Bigbrotiki refers to?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2327225330&category=2001&rd=1

Thanks,
Steve

[ Edited by: voodootiki on 2003-07-08 17:23 ]

Hi Voodootiki,

I don't know much about them myself, but I think they're not too horribly uncommon. My friend Doctor Z picked up one on e-bay some months ago for a song, but his was unframed. It's nice to see what the original frame looked like. Thanks for the post.

Sabu

A song indeed! (A very short song - in fact lower than the opening bid on the one that just closed!! I love finding hidden things on eBay!) However, it is STILL un-mounted and un-framed...

Y'know, I think one of MonkeyMan's frames would look PERFECT! Hmmm...

Heir Doctor,

(no I don't speak German. That is a line from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade)

What are the dimensions of that painting?

A Carved frame with the right design might be cool.

Monkeyman

MM-- The artwork itself is 14" x 42", but the velvet piece itself is about 2" larger all around. Like I said it's still unmounted - but if you're serious, e-mail me about possibly framing it!

Since all the photos are gone on this thread, here are some updates...

Here's the one Tiki-Atari found and posted in "Tiki Finds" on 11.22.2010 (page 455 if you care about such things)...

Here's bigbro's...

Here's the original full size Kocab rendering...

Marie and I finally found one of these recently. The most interesting part is...we got the unpainted kit, complete with original outline on the velvet and instruction sheet/guide, which indicates colors, amount of coats, etc.

JONPAUL.
Any chance of you scanning that in? The original velvet, that is.
It'd be great to have that available to any tikiphiles with artistic ability who might want to paint their own.

If not, and you're willing to (safely) lend it out, I'd love to digitize the velvet!

EDIT: I guess the color guide might need scanned too...

[ Edited by: Hale Tiki 2013-03-13 06:04 ]

I just scored an unfinished on ewith insturctions as well. Put it on th eto-do list...

Then let me extend that to say anyone who has one to lend... :)

Or if anyone wants to trade for a Last Supper. Hahaha. That's the only one I've run across so far.

JONPAUL
Thanks for the info about page 455. I missed that when it was posted. And I know the company that framed it! I mean, they're long gone, but that's local to me, and I have some other framed stuff from there. Amazing that it made it's way to Atlanta.