Orchids of Hawaii Tiki Mugs Pair Japan R-98 Geisha Parasol Fuku Character

A pair of tall cylindrical ceramic mugs made for Orchids of Hawaii, each moulded in relief on two faces: one side carries a figure in a green kimono holding a red parasol, the other carries the character for good fortune, fuku, raised against the cream ground. Black scrolling bands run around the rim and the foot on both pieces. The bases are impressed JAPAN, R-98, ORCHIDS OF HAWAII. Orchids of Hawaii was a New York importer, not a Hawaiian pottery, and it supplied the tiki bars and Polynesian restaurants that spread across the American mainland from the 1950s through the 1970s. The mugs were commissioned from Japanese factories to the importer's own moulds, which is why the bases carry a mould number like R-98 rather than a pattern name. Restaurants bought them by the case and customers walked out with them, which is exactly how they entered circulation. The relief moulding is deep enough that the decoration survives decades of dishwashing, a practical requirement for barware that a printed design would not have met. Condition is very good for service ware. Both mugs are clean with no chips, cracks or hairlines found at the rims, bases or handles, the glaze is bright, and the impressed marks are clear. Light interior wear consistent with use is present.