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The Bamboo House (formerly the Outrigger) , Prince George, BC, Canada (restaurant) |
TabooDan
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 18, 2004
Posts: 641
From: BC, Canada
|  Posted: 2008-04-10 7:00 pm Permalink
Dustycajun's postcard close up also seems to show a set of salt and pepper shakers in fornt of the lamp. It looks like there is something tan colored with a dark rim. Kind of like the PMP peanut ones.
Hmmm...something else to track down. As of yet, I have never seen any mugs or anything besides postcards from this restaurant.
TabooDan
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 11004
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2008-04-10 8:45 pm Permalink
Those DO look like the Paul Marshall Products shakers:
..with their backs turned to us.
Next: A lamp origin theory. 
[ This Message was edited by: bigbrotiki 2008-04-10 20:45 ]
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 11004
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2008-04-11 12:40 am Permalink
To recap, we just established that the lamps at The Outrigger were the same design than the ones Taboo Dan found when he came upon the Tropic Isle hoard:
I agree with Dan in that the crudeness of these figures makes it likely that they were cast after, or even from the ones at the Outrigger:
When I first saw Dan's lamp find, my Tiki senses went off, and I went back into my archive and found some stylistic similarities which combined, point to one origin:
Here are several of Andres Bumatay's Tikis in front of the Sea & Jungle store. Note the similarity in expression of the one in the foreground to the lamp Tiki. But this example is not really conclusive. Now look at this rendering:
It was really the position of the arms and hands that I recognized, not only from this rendering, but from my very own Bumatay carving, that I had rescued from an antique store in the early 90s. It was in a sad state, and I doused it in resin, which worked to prolong its life for several years, until it finally turned to dust:
...now that's our guy!
Mouth and eyes are a little different, but it is a couple of generations down the line. The body posture gives it away. As a side bar I want to share an ingenious carving concept that my specific Bumatay Tiki revealed to me, I call it the "Slice of Pie" Tiki:
Here is a side view of my Bumatay, (with my Buick in the B.G.) showing that its back was made of palm tree bark. This is the revealing feature of this specific carving concept, which needed very thick palm trunks. I crickled up a crude attempt at a blueprint...don't laugh! :
This is another great example of how talented carvers took the challenge of an already shaped piece of wood and created a Tiki within the restrictions of that shape! It'll be hard to find palm trunks that size nowadays, but maybe some folks can try it with smaller logs ....the result simply being smaller Tikis. I would love to see this concept resurrected.
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TabooDan
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 18, 2004
Posts: 641
From: BC, Canada
| Posted: 2008-04-11 07:36 am Permalink
Wow Bigbro, that is bang on!! Like you said, different generations but it sure is modeled from that style of Tiki.
Awesome pictures! Too bad your carved one went to dust. That was quite a unique carving. I had been looking for some sort of style that was close but couldn't really find one close enough.
Mahalo, TabooDan
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4965
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2008-04-11 07:57 am Permalink
Any time I see a tiki carving holding his nuts, I figure its a Guanko. So Bumatay did a "taking a pee" thing...
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 11004
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2008-04-11 08:44 am Permalink
Sometimes it looks like a "Hands in the lap" posture, sometimes like a "Puppy dog sitting up" position to me....I have to find an authentic equivalent in my Oceanic Art library.
Looking at my sketch again, I realized that the palm tree pie does not HAVE to be cut into 4 pieces, cutting it into six will make the body deeper (as in ill.3) and not as flat (as in ill.4).
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TabooDan
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 18, 2004
Posts: 641
From: BC, Canada
| Posted: 2008-04-11 09:06 am Permalink
I love this post! Pretty cool how that one postcard sparked this.
Hey Bigbro, Now we gotta find that similar style done for the logo Tiki of the Tropic Isle. I know you said you hadn't seen it before but you have given me hope now!! I am still trying to find something out about it but the chances are looking pretty slim now.
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 11004
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2008-04-11 10:15 am Permalink
I think that one was definitely locally carved, just like that Tiki panel/beam in Dusty's Outrigger postcard on the left. There were so many local carvers we will never know about, not only up in your parts, but look at the the Atlanta Dobbs House Tikis...and the big Tikis at the Chin Tiki. Those did not come from California, either, we probably will never know who carved them.
Pappy the sailor did some great microfiche diggin' and posted it here, showing that there were many unknown artisans hackin away at their versions of Tiki.
How the Bumatay design got to Canada is open to speculation, too. Sea & Jungle might have shipped a carving to some place, or the Outrigger owners just might have seen it in a restaurant industry mag article.
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Pepe le Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 09, 2005
Posts: 325
From: Vancouver, BC
| Posted: 2008-04-13 09:41 am Permalink
wow! Really interesting guys! I'm seriously tempted to do a road trip to PG just to check this place out! Dan, we should plan something!
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Sweet Daddy Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 20, 2003
Posts: 1063
From: Edmonton
| Posted: 2008-04-13 10:57 am Permalink
I'll meet you there Pepe & Dan. It's about an 8 1/2 hour drive for me, about 10 hours for you. It can be Hukilau North. Someone should phone first to make sure it's open.
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 11004
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2008-04-13 11:30 am Permalink
Wow, that would be great, guys! Tiki agents in action! Urban archeologists in remote places! Can you contact the folks from that website and find out if you can get any prints from those B&W photos? I'd love to use the dress being modeled, and the building and its Tapa gable being painted for my next book!
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Sweet Daddy Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 20, 2003
Posts: 1063
From: Edmonton
| Posted: 2008-04-13 12:40 pm Permalink
bigbro - photographic prints can be ordered from Exploration Place Science Centre and Museum, email: archive@theexplorationplace.com or phone 250.562.1612. A b/w 8"x10" is $20 (you can also get scans). The numbers you want are P991.09.08.727.6 ("Elaborate decorative painting on the new Outrigger Restaurant, 1965") and P991.09.09.153.1 ("Modeling a Hawaiian-inspired dress in March 1966 in front of the new Outrigger Restaurant, now called the Bamboo Hut.")
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Because crap doesn't buy itself.
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Tikiwahine
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2003
Posts: 3288
From: Ontario, Canada
| Posted: 2008-04-13 1:13 pm Permalink
Wow, this post keeps getting better and better! Great unearthing work you guys!
I have to go to a wedding in Kamloops in June, Prince George is a 6 hour drive north from there. I don't think I can convince my husband and daughter to drive that far, but if someone happened to be doing a road trip in that direction anyhow...
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TabooDan
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 18, 2004
Posts: 641
From: BC, Canada
| Posted: 2008-04-13 2:37 pm Permalink
The problem with Prince George is that it is not near anything or has anything that is worth seeing. It is just really far away and it kind of sucks up there.
This place is worth seeing in our eyes but it is a hell of a long way and to get there and be only able to stare out the outside of the building (which you can do on this post) doesn't really seem worth it.
I have been, and continue, to try to contact the owners but they are not replying as of yet. Maybe it did sell.
Sweet Daddy had it right, a little road trip that way may be in order but there better be a few drinks available up there.
Actually......I just remembered.....there is a rumor of a Hawaiian/Polynesian themed Hotel (or maybe just a room! LOL)up there which may have some carvings and Hawaiian decorations. What the hell???
Hmmmm.....maybe I'll just fly there for the weekend.
I'll keep you all posted.
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Pepe le Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 09, 2005
Posts: 325
From: Vancouver, BC
| Posted: 2008-04-13 4:26 pm Permalink
I'm all for a mini road trip! The four of us would have a blast! I agree, it would only be worth it if we could get in to see the place. Other activities could involve killing each other as we plunder the thrift stores. Visiting Barkerville because I've always wanted to for some unknown reason. Bringing our own tiki mugs to the local pub and pretending it's Trader Vics. Just a thought....
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