Tiki 2008 - New Carved Tiki 9 FOOTER - Made in Hawaii

I just wanted to start 2008 the right way, I started mid December to carve this Ku Tiki from a single log of Monkey Pod (Acacia Koa). I started with the chainsaw but quickly I had to use the chisel to give the hand carved look and feel. This Ku Tiki - Tiki of strength - weighs about 1500 lbs. The Tiki has already been spoken for and it will take a trip to San Diego...Oh by the way good job CHARGERS on your win today 1/06/08 against the Titans.

The challenge is to move it and crate it without breaking off the arms or the head piece. We use a pretty heavy duty fork lift from the army where the blades are able to rotate 18o degrees. What we're going to do is apply a natural finish to nourish the wood and protect it from the outdoor elements. As the wood is aging the color of the Tiki will become darker. Also, please make sure that the wood is as green as possible before starting the Tiki carving process; it just makes it easier as opposed to an old log.

Then another key element is to let the wood dry on its own to prevent major cracking. If you want the wood to cure properly...time is your best asset!

I'm now planning on carving a Kuka Ilimoku (Tiki God of King Kamehameha) which will be carved from a log of iron wood. The Tiki will measure 10 feet tall and our customer requested to have the Tiki stained in dark brown.

Tiki Learning: The four main gods were Kane, Ku, Lono and Kanaloa. Demi-gods included Pele and many others. Kane was the god of sunlight, fresh water, and natural life. Ku was the god of war and the male generating power. Lono was the god of peace, fertility, winds, rain and sports. Kanaloa was god of the ocean; Pele, the goddess of fire. The complexities of the relationships between all Hawaiian gods are explained in many legends.

Each Hawaiian family had its own aumakua (personal god) which protected them. For some it was the shark, others the pig, and so on. It was thought that spirits could communicate to the living through dreams and often appeared in the form of the family's aumakua.