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The Polynesia, Seattle, WA (restaurant) |
tikicoma
Grand Member (2 years) 
Joined: Jan 16, 2010
Posts: 257
From: city of destiny
|  Posted: 2011-08-08 12:29 am Permalink
Thought I'd add a matchbook I have to the thread. But what is this shield like design from, it's on the menu, flyer and matchbook. What island region? Anyone know?
aloha, tikicoma
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10562
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2011-08-10 09:07 am Permalink
This is a good question, in a good thread, by a good Tiki archeologist, and it deserves an answer. The short answer would be that the Polynesia's logo is Marquesan (from the Marquesas Islands, the cradle of Polynesian culture, North of Tahiti)
But it wouldn't be quite correct for the above, because the match book example you picked here depicts a stylized, modernist version of the initial Marquesan logo art that can be seen on the menu on page one of this thread. Here is another menu page with the rendering in its original form:
But then they used that stylized version on another (later?) menu. This version really had very little to do with Marquesan art:
I guess that menu cover artist didn't know or care what he was depicting (now how could THAT be !?  )
Then you calling it a SHIELD makes sense, but I knew that the Marquesans did not use shields, so I went and looked where in Marquesan art this form had been used (I had asked myself before about that). The patterns could have been from tatoo sample boards...
...but that rounded-off form was not used for those. That form kinda reminded me of this Paul Gauguin print:
...but I guess that is more phallic. The best likeness of shape I could come up with was this TOBACCO CONTAINER:
(Tobacco was a dried plant that natives would put in "pipes" and light on fire to inhale its smoke - would you believe it !?)
Does anybody have any other suggestions, please?
[ This Message was edited by: bigbrotiki 2011-08-10 11:49 ]
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3930
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2011-08-10 5:58 pm Permalink
Boy that second graphic artist sure butchered the original Marquesan design of the menu!
Very good question from Tikicoma and an excellent response from Bigbro. Some other possibilities for design inspiration:
The top of a war club
A bowl with a similar shape.
Another tobacco holder
I think the tobacco holder has to be it.
DC
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10562
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2011-08-10 10:53 pm Permalink
Thanks DC, it is good to be talking to someone.
The only other source I could come up with are carved wooden bowl LIDS
- but they have too symetric of a shape.
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TikiTomD
Grand Member (3 years) 
Joined: Sep 20, 2009
Posts: 629
From: Flagler Beach, FL
| Posted: 2011-08-13 07:51 am Permalink
When I looked at the shape on the Polynesia menu, my first impression was of a stylized turtle shell, albeit without head and flippers, and maybe inverted... could be too many Zombies, though...
-Tom
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Sophista-tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 13, 2005
Posts: 1598
From: Seattle WA
| Posted: 2011-09-14 2:02 pm Permalink
bump cause i need to find it easily
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tikicoma
Grand Member (2 years)
Joined: Jan 16, 2010
Posts: 257
From: city of destiny
| Posted: 2011-12-08 10:59 pm Permalink
I haven't found the source of the image for the Polynesia but I did find some interesting designs.
From Mrbalihai's site, his Marquesan paddle.
and another Marquesan paddle from the web.
They sure look similar to the menu design. Now what oceanic art books would an architectural design firm in Seattle have access to from before 1961?
aloha, tikicoma
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tikicoma
Grand Member (2 years)
Joined: Jan 16, 2010
Posts: 257
From: city of destiny
| Posted: 2012-02-19 11:25 pm Permalink
"For an evening quite unlike any other..." The Polynesia.
The ad is from the Seattle Greeter of 1962.
aloha, tikicoma
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3930
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2012-04-06 11:39 am Permalink
Here is a great news-wire photo of David Cohn, the owner of the Polynesia with a Tiki that must have been at the restaurant (from ebay).
Never seen this Tiki in any of the photos from the Polynesia.
But it reminds me of the Tiki from the Leilani restaurant in Wisconsin.
DC
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tikicoma
Grand Member (2 years)
Joined: Jan 16, 2010
Posts: 257
From: city of destiny
| Posted: 2012-07-19 12:13 am Permalink
Found on the restaurant groups website that owned the Polynesia,
this shot shows what must be one of Fay Chongs Tahitian emblem transparencies.
and, well, piles of food!
aloha, tikicoma
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3930
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2012-10-15 09:51 am Permalink
I picked up this menu from the Polynesia that has a good copy of the PNG design on the cover.
I am thinking those paddles that Tikicoma posted are the closest match to this design.
DC
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cap'n cook
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Apr 01, 2011
Posts: 12 | Posted: 2012-11-10 08:55 am Permalink
The large Witco mask seen in pictures below and posted by Sophiti-tiki is either
one of two or the same one that has been in storage for many years (this is the
same mask seen on the front of the Polynesian Restaurant). The same mask is owned by a
local decorator who swears it is from The Polynesian. My band, The Ukadelics, used it as
a backdrop for the Leeteg velvet art show a few months back. Same one? More than one?
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3930
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2013-04-05 3:31 pm Permalink
Cap'n cook, thanks for the info on the mask. Where is it it storage?
I picked up a postcard showing the Seattle ferry terminal with a view of the Polynesia building in the background.
The building in front is Ye Olde Curiosity shop.
DC
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3930
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: Yesterday; 5:18 pm Permalink
Just got this nice drink menu from the Polynesia in Seattle.
The cover. Looks like you could have not one, not two, but three drinks!
Inside message.
The great drink photos, this one with a photo of the large Tiki I posted previously.
More drinks, drinks, drinks.
Looks like they used the Trader Vic's line of Tiki mugs.
DC
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Tattoo
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 24, 2005
Posts: 152
From: Los Angeles
| Posted: Yesterday; 9:12 pm Permalink
Wow... what a cool menu and finally one that speaks to me and my "three drink" minimum. Fantastic find DC and thanks for posting.
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