Karl Axl de Flon - hand carved birds - Collecting Tiki

F flipflopfrank Member Joined: Feb 17, 2012 Posts: 3	F flipflopfrank Posted posted on Wed, Mar 5, 2014 1:13 PM Hi all, I am looking for some information more than what I have found for this carved set of birds. Karl was a Swede who lived in New Zealand and Hawaii... I ask here per what I found on the google search of his name. from http://www.bioethika.com/cancer_journey.html I found "Karl Axel de Flon was the curator of a museum, a specialist in Pacific art and he had been retained by the State of Hawaii to assist in creating the Hawaiian exhibit for the World's Fair. No one would stand for transporting the tiki gods out of state so he was to help create replicas. They were supposed to look old so to give them that appearance, he did what so many other antique lovers have done, he beat them with chains. The Hawaiians suggested to him that he not do this. He ignored their advice and soon developed a galloping type of cancer. The doctors told him he had ten days to live. He rushed back to Sweden, but he died in even fewer days, I think three, but it was a long time ago and this detail of his story eludes me at the moment." From http://decorate.mtghawkesbay.com/en-nz/20-21st-century/modern-new-zealand/# "Wooden mask, 1950s Karl Axel de Flon, (b.1907, d.1963) wood gifted by anonymous 2011/13 Havelock North shoppers with an eye for modernism would have been delighted when Swedish designer Karl Axel de Flon opened up his shop in the village in the early 1950s. De Flon, a craftsman who specialised in woodworking, stocked his shop with quality modern crafts and homewares. These included examples of his work, which ranged from functional through to decorative items such as this tribal-inspired mask design. De Flon also imported international goods for his Hawke’s Bay customers. Much to his frustration, however, import restrictions stifled his ability to import the Swedish-made items that he wished to bring to the region." So if any of you have heard or seen more, please let me know. Many thanks fff
UT uncle trav Tiki Socialite Kalamazoo Joined: Apr 27, 2005 Posts: 2465	UT uncle trav Posted posted on Thu, Mar 6, 2014 12:29 PM Welcome to TC. Sorry I can't give you any info on the carving. But it is cool !
F flipflopfrank Member Joined: Feb 17, 2012 Posts: 3	F flipflopfrank Posted posted on Thu, Mar 27, 2014 2:20 PM Here is another article I found... http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Arc04_05DesR-t1-body-d6.html Thanks again if anyone has heard of this cat.

F

flipflopfrank Posted posted on Wed, Mar 5, 2014 1:13 PM

Hi all,

I am looking for some information more than what I have found for this carved set of birds.

Karl was a Swede who lived in New Zealand and Hawaii...

I ask here per what I found on the google search of his name.

from http://www.bioethika.com/cancer_journey.html I found

"Karl Axel de Flon was the curator of a museum, a specialist in Pacific art and he had been retained by the State of Hawaii to assist in creating the Hawaiian exhibit for the World's Fair.
No one would stand for transporting the tiki gods out of state so he was to help create replicas. They were supposed to look old so to give them that appearance, he did what so many other antique lovers have done, he beat them with chains. The Hawaiians suggested to him that he not do this. He ignored their advice and soon developed a galloping type of cancer. The doctors told him he had ten days to live. He rushed back to Sweden, but he died in even fewer days, I think three, but it was a long time ago and this detail of his story eludes me at the moment."

From http://decorate.mtghawkesbay.com/en-nz/20-21st-century/modern-new-zealand/#

"Wooden mask, 1950s
Karl Axel de Flon, (b.1907, d.1963)
wood
gifted by anonymous
2011/13

Havelock North shoppers with an eye for modernism would have been delighted when Swedish designer Karl Axel de Flon opened up his shop in the village in the early 1950s. De Flon, a craftsman who specialised in woodworking, stocked his shop with quality modern crafts and homewares. These included examples of his work, which ranged from functional through to decorative items such as this tribal-inspired mask design. De Flon also imported international goods for his Hawke’s Bay customers. Much to his frustration, however, import restrictions stifled his ability to import the Swedish-made items that he wished to bring to the region."

So if any of you have heard or seen more, please let me know.

Many thanks

fff

UT

uncle trav Posted posted on Thu, Mar 6, 2014 12:29 PM

Welcome to TC. Sorry I can't give you any info on the carving. But it is cool !

F

flipflopfrank Posted posted on Thu, Mar 27, 2014 2:20 PM

Here is another article I found...

http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Arc04_05DesR-t1-body-d6.html

Thanks again if anyone has heard of this cat.