One of the most basic and popular Tiki mugs is Tiki Bob. He comes in many shapes and sizes, but is basically a face cut into a palm tree trunk. Sven Kirsten, author of the Book of Tiki, described the mug as “part George Jetson, part modern primitive.” Unlike other mugs derived from Polynesian carving styles, this one is a purely American creation, originating from Tiki Bob’s restaurant in San Francisco in 1955. My version is the companion mug to Kirsten’s book Tiki Pop, and the bookmark even has an image of this Tiki Bob mug on it. A simple piece of American Tiki history.

