Tiki Mug
Tiki mug is a collective term for various sculptural drinking cups made of ceramic or, more rarely, glass. They originate, hence their name, from the so-called Tiki culture and have a figurative character; the special cup shapes, mostly in connection with the matching colored decoration, depict 'exotic' idol figures or, more rarely, everyday motifs.
Tiki was an important pop cultural trend originating in the USA in the 1930s, which, with Hawaii as a kind of 'interface', drew on influences from Polynesian island culture. It was indeed based on a transfigured, Western image of Polynesian culture; thus many 'exotic' dishes of the famous Tiki institutions were actually borrowed from other, e.g. Chinese cuisine. Especially in postwar America this romanticized island culture offered a welcome retreat, and so from the 1950s to the 1970s in particular, there was a boom with Tiki bars and restaurants. Tiki culture influenced many areas of life, even finding expression in the music and films of its time.
Among other things, the Tiki bars and restaurants were known for their exotic cocktails, many of them rum-based. Tropical fruit juices, fruity syrups and liqueurs such as Curaçao and bitters were other popular ingredients. The Mai Tai and Zombie are just two examples of particularly prominent Tiki cocktails. Most Tiki bars served at least some drinks in Tiki mugs. Important meeting places often had their own customized Tikis. These were engraved with the name and address of the establishment and served as trademarks and marketing tools.
