According to wikipedia, “Tiki refers to …

According to wikipedia, “Tiki refers to large wood and stone carvings of humanoid forms in Central Eastern Polynesian cultures of the Pacific Ocean. The term is also used as it relates to Māori mythology where Tiki is the first man.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiki I have no idea about the accuracy of these claims, but what’s interesting of course is that this idea would have so much resonance for White men in the 1950s. What’s also interesting is the way it quickly became massified in the form of plastic tiki beer mugs.