This 10" tall carved wooden statue was made by Tonga Trading Company and possibly sold at the Bishop Museum. The number on the back of these pieces was a serial number that would match the fancy "Hawaiian Discovery" tag it came with (example HERE), which included more information on the piece. This Ku is a reproduction of an original piece in the Musee Royale in Tervuren, Belgium. They were produced in 6", 10" and 20" sizes - more info on their other carvings is available on this thread
Tonga Trading Co., Ltd. was incorporated in Hawaii in 1971, and the business specialized in quality replicas of Pacific art and artifacts, including Tiki statues, tapa cloth, canoe paddles, ceremonial kava bowls, woven mats, and baskets. Hawaiian Discovery is a later division formed by the original founder's son to sell furniture, which itself was acquired in 2022 by Sea Imports, and continues to sell furniture.
Physical Characteristics
- Material
- Wood
- Colour
- Brown
- Dimensions
- 3"W x 2"L x 10"H
- Imagery
- Tiki
- Marking
- 718
