#a379 :: Las Vegas tiki culture artifact
March 1, 2009
The Aku-Aku Restaurant opened in 1960 inside the much-fabled Stardust Casino in Las Vegas.
When the Stardust was imploded in 2007, mob-culture journalist Nick Pileggi called it “the Bellagio of its day, the most dazzling casino out there.”
The Aku Aku ran for 20 years – a veritable temple of tiki culture (Here’s its appetizer menu).
My step-father-in-law, who has a massive Vegas collection both in cabinets and in his head, very generously gave me this today. (Thanks, Lee!)
I don’t know whether this fellow is laughing or grimacing, but he’s the real deal – a rough-hewn head in wonderfully scratchy ceramic.
He’s now living in a place of honor, among the other shrunken heads.
Filed under: Art, Artifact, Ephemera, Facsimile, Fetish, symbol | Comments (0)