Tiki
Carved Pacific figure
Tiki refers to Polynesian carved figures, typically stylized human forms representing deified ancestors or gods.
The word comes from Māori and other Polynesian languages.
In mid-20th-century America, tiki became associated with a romanticized tropical aesthetic: tiki bars, tiki torches, tiki mugs.
This kitschy Polynesian-themed style features bamboo, thatch, carved wooden figures, and elaborate rum cocktails.
The backyard had tiki torches lining the path.
Molasses-based liquor
- cocktailMixed alcoholic beverage
- tropicalOf hot, humid regions
- mai taiRum cocktail with orgeat
- pineappleSpiny-skinned tropical fruit
umbrella · bamboo · thatch · luau · Hawaiian · mugs · ceramic · exotic
rum
Molasses-based liquor
pineapple · umbrella · bamboo · thatch · luau · Hawaiian · mugs · ceramic · exotic · kitsch
Maori
New Zealand's indigenous people
tapu · mana · sacred · New Zealand · mythology · deity · spirit · greenstone · pendant · tribal
torch
Handheld burning light source
rattan · palm · carved · wooden · outdoor · patio · lantern · garden · lighting · flame
- Fire EmblemIke, Roy, Lyn, Dimitri, Claude
- Fictional BirdsBig Bird, Donald Duck, Daffy Duck, Tweety, Road Runner
- Parrot NamesPolly, Tweety, Rio, Echo
TikiAmericana
Heritage artifacts or music
New England · heartland · Puritan · Norman Rockwell · European
Tikiminimalism
Aesthetic of reduction
Bauhaus · Scandinavian design · brutalism · mid-century modern · austere
- tiki barTropical-themed watering hole
- tiki torchDecorative outdoor fuel lamp
- tiki torchesOutdoor oil-burning yard lights
- tiki hutThatched open-air structure
- tiki drinks
- tiki maskCarved Polynesian face sculpture