One aspect of Polynesian Pop that I really enjoy is the way it's revitalized an interest in Oceanic arts, particularly in the area of wood carving. Some carvers stick to the traditional representations of Tikis, while some go for a more contemporary interpretation. Quite a few maintain 'blogs where you can follow the progress of their work. Two such artists are Greg Fairclough (AKA GMAN) and Fred Kroner (AKA Finkdaddy).

[Link: Ocean and Island Arts]
[Link: The Leeward Lounge]

Posted by MrBaliHai at 9:39 AM | Permalink

The 4 tiki mugs I scored on my trip to Silver Spring arrived today. As usual, nothing terribly rare or exotic. Here's a brief description of each. The links go to a larger image of the mug.

1) Otagiri Mercantile Company "crossed-arms" mug: from the extinct Luau Hut in Silver Spring, MD. It appears as the Tiki Tumbler in this vintage menu from Arkiva Tropika.

2) Small Moai mug: unmarked, and looks like it could be homemade. I really dig the white glaze with blue streaks. Looks like a bar of Irish Spring!

3) Dynasty Headhunter mug: from the Jekyll and Hyde Club in New York, and the design is based on an older Orchids of Hawaii R-1 mold.

4) Maui Lu Luau Daga Warrior mug: from the the Maui Lu Resort, Kihei, Maui, Hawaii.

Posted by MrBaliHai at 4:15 PM | Permalink

Here's a scan of the Orchids of Hawaii Bartender's Guide from 1981 that's filled with beautiful illustrations of funky garnishes, bartender's shirts, and a slew of great cocktails served in classis OoH mugs.

[Link: Orchids of Hawaii Bartender's Guide]

Posted by MrBaliHai at 9:53 PM | Permalink

If Beachbum Berry is the Messiah of Tropical Mixology, then Sven Kirsten is his Moses, leading the lost children of the Trader and the Beachcomber out of the wilderness and into the Promised Land flowing with Mai Tais and Puu-puu Platters. Kirsten's first tome was the Book of Tiki: the Ark of the Covenant, Ten (or more) Commandments, and veritable Pentateuch of Polynesian Pop. An essential, if not the essential, addition to the library of any Tikiphile, it almost singlehandedly rescued Tiki from near-total oblivion, and transformed a kitsch pastime for parental squares into, dare-we-say-it, highbrow lowbrow art for the most discerning of tastes.

After an interminable interval, Kirsten has announced the imminent arrival of his second work, Tiki Modern, a look at the artistic connections between PolyPop and mid-century Modernism of the 1950s and '60s. Slated to ship next month, Sven has graciously provided a sneak preview of his new masterpiece in this Tiki Central thread. I've got my copy pre-ordered!

[Link: Tiki Modern Sneak Preview]

Posted by MrBaliHai at 6:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)