Mejiro Ceramics Made in Hawaii Author: Clyde Chee
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This is how it all began several years ago; I knew nothing about what Mejiro ceramics were. Mr. Ken Tanaka, a friend of mine, asked me to help him find these items. I asked him, “What are Mejiro ceramics?” He stated that they were local ceramics made in Hawaii and identified by a green stamp located on the bottom to indicate that each item was authentic. Mejiro ceramic items like the “Shaka” cat banks, the manapua, musubi paperweights, kamaboko fishcake containers, and so forth, are so well defined that you cannot tell the ceramic items apart from the real thing. That is when I became interested in Mejiro ceramics. The word “Mejiro” means “white-eyed bird” in Japanese. The search began, and I looked everywhere I possibly could, starting from uptown to downtown, swap meets to garage sales and from businesses to people I did not even know. I want to thank Ken Tanaka, whom I have known for many years, for getting me interested in Mejiro ceramics. The first place I found a Mejiro “Shaka” cat bank was at The Anchor House Antiques in Kapahulu. They also had the “Big Brah” black and white “Shaka” cat banks and as I stared at the white “Big Brah” cat bank, I thought to myself that I should really consider collecting them. I did not hesitate at the thought and left no room for regrets; thereby, I began my own collection of Mejiro ceramics. Ilene Wong and Wayne Maeda, founders of Mejiro ceramics, gave me my first “Shaka” cat bank. A big mahalo to Ilene and Wayne for allowing me to write this book and for supporting me with all the information I needed to know about Mejiro ceramics and for everything else they have done for me over the years. I began collecting Mejiro ceramics in 2001, and I now have over 100 Mejiro items in my collection. Many years of hard work, collecting, researching and taking pictures has given me the drive to write this book. I am grateful and would like to thank all of my friends and the people who encouraged me to write this book; especially Kevin Zulueta, who supported me and gave me inside information and tips into making this happen. In the early 1970’s, Mejiro ceramics was created and it has become a local favorite to many since then. I dedicate this book to all who know what Mejiro ceramics are and for those who want to learn and know more about them. To all my friends who supported me in making this happen, helping me find Mejiro ceramic pieces, and allowing me to take photos of their personal collection even though they did not want to sell them. To all my friends, family and especially my mom and dad; love you all! Aloha and Mahalo, Clyde Chee Clyde Chee 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................................................................................................3 MEJIRO ENTERPRISES “PRESENTS”.......................................................................................... 6 CERAMIC CREATIONS FROM THE CROSSROADS OF THE PACIFIC.........................................8 THE LEGEND OF THE HAWAIIAN “SHAKA CAT”......................................................................9 C HAPTER 1 BANKS........................................................................................................... 11-13 HAYDEN MANGO...............................................................................................14 NEW YEAR’S MOCHI..........................................................................................15 BUNNY BANKS....................................................................................................16 CAT BANKS.........................................................................................................17 SUGAR MILL........................................................................................................18 C HAPTER 2 BOWLS................................................................................................................19 DUCK BOWLS.....................................................................................................20 HEART BOWLS....................................................................................................21 BUNNY BOWLS...................................................................................................22 C HAPTER 3 COLANDERS.......................................................................................................23 HEART.................................................................................................................24 DUCK...................................................................................................................25 WATERMELON....................................................................................................26 JELLYBEAN..........................................................................................................26 CHAPTER 4 CONTAINERS......................................................................................................27 CONE SUSHI.......................................................................................................28 KAMABOKO FISH CAKE.....................................................................................28 INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH “POI”..........................................................................29 TOFU...................................................................................................................29 NOTES.................................................................................................................30 CHAPTER 5 MANAPUA ITEMS...............................................................................................31 PAPERWEIGHTS............................................................................................ 32/33 SALT & PEPPER SHAKERS...................................................................................34 CONTAINER/PIN.................................................................................................35 CLOCKS...............................................................................................................36 4 Mejiro Ceramics
CHAPTER 6 MUSUBI ITEMS....................................................................................................37 CLOCK/SALT & PEPPER SHAKERS......................................................................38 PAPERWEIGHTS..................................................................................................39 CHAPTER 7 NOTES.............................................................................................................. 40 PLANTERS......................................................................................................... 41 HEART/DUCK.................................................................................................... 42 HEART SHAPED PLANTERS............................................................................. 43 BASKET PLANTERS........................................................................................... 44 CHAPTER 8 SNACK PINS..................................................................................................... 45 STAR-SHAPED KAKI MOCHI............................................................................ 46 KAKI MOCHI W/NORI...................................................................................... 46 CHAPTER 9 SPOON RESTS.................................................................................................. 47 SLICE OF SPAM................................................................................................ 48 PORTUGUESE SAUSAGE.................................................................................. 48 C HAPTER 10 TRIVETS............................................................................................................. 49 CHECKER BOMB/MOSQUITO PUNK............................................................... 50 SALOON PILOT/ TILAPIA................................................................................. 51 C HAPTER 11 MISCELLANEOUS............................................................................................. 53 FORTUNE COOKIE/NEW YEAR’S MOCHI PAPERWEIGHT............................. 54 SHAVED ICE TOOTHPICK HOLDER................................................................. 55 VIENNA SAUSAGE/BBQ STICK ABACUS.................................................... 55/56 SUGAR MILL SHAKER....................................................................................... 56 BUTTERFLY CANDLESTICK HOLDER............................................................... 56 PUPPY BOWLS.................................................................................................. 57 NOTES ...................................................................................................................................... 58 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................................... 60 Clyde Chee 5
MEJIRO ENTERPRISES “PRESENTS” ‘An abridged version of the sixty-six steps in fine ceramic ware productions’ 1. THE IDEA: Watch enough TV to gather important ideas and possibilities. Ten hours of re-runs of Gilligan’s Island or Petticoat Junction should do the trick. Stay away from art galleries, they are bad influences; they also cut down on TV time. 17. THE PRIME: Never give up! If you continue to work hard enough at your ideas, one of these days you might come to realize your stupidity and quit. Life has many lessons to offer, but you must wait for most of them. 30. THE CLAY: The liquid clay that is used to cast our products is called SLIP. It looks gray in its raw state but fires to a bright white color. The local variations fires to a brown, tapa design. 35. THE MOULDS: All Mejiro moulds are custom made and copyrighted. They are made of a special kind of plaster of Paris that we refer to as ‘the special kind’. Ceramics mould making fits into a category all by itself. It has very little in common with Art/Sculpture casting. 36. THE CASTING: The pouring of slip moulds is called SLIP casting. 37. THE ABANDONMENT: The fine art of dropping what you’re doing to pursue insignificant matters should not be overlooked; it intends to extricate you from unpleasant experiences such as work. 38. THE WHEEL: The ceramic wheel is used to produce some of Mejiro items. The process is about as old as dirt itself. This process is only used to produce round or circular objects; no TV dinner trays please. 47. THE KILN: The KILN is like a large oven. It is used to fire Mejiro’s products to their finish states. There are two main types of KILN gas and electric. The pronunciation of the “N” in the word KILN is an indication of quality. The good KILN has their “N’s” pronounced. 6 Mejiro Ceramics
51. THE GLAZES: Ceramic GLAZES are brushed on the items before firing. In their dry form, they appear powdery, not unlike the dandruff. GLAZES give the ware its appealing color. Dandruff gives your hair its appealing color. 52. THE MEJIRO TECHNIQUE: The MEJIRO TECHNIQUE of fine glazing is used on all of our products. It is a time tested, efficient, and innovative technique that requires many years to master. 66. THE FINISH: All of Mejiro’s products are carefully inspected for flaws and other irregularities such as sharp edges. All sharp edges are ground so as to be completely harmless. The mark of a good ceramic ware is its attention to fine, detailed furnishings. Courtesy of MEJIRO ENTERPRISES Clyde Chee 7
CERAMIC CREATIONS FROM THE CROSSROADS OF THE PACIFIC The Ceramic Creations by the artisans at Mejiro Enterprises are inspired by the cuisine and customs of the many exotic cultures found in Hawaii, the “Crossroads of the Pacific”. All items are handcrafted at the Mejiro workshop which emphasizes attention to detail and quality. Mejiro slip-cast items (paperweights, salt and pepper shakers, etc.) are cast from customs, handmade plaster molds, many of which consist of multiple parts. All of Mejiro’s bowls, colanders, and banks are hand-thrown on the potter’s wheel. They are individually hand-decorated and glazed. Because of the unique design and practical application of each piece, Mejiro ceramic creations are popular gift items with Hawaii’s residents and tourists. Courtesy of MEJIRO ENTERPRISES 8 Mejiro Ceramics
THE LEGEND OF THE HAWAIIAN “SHAKA CAT” The Hawaiian Shaka legend is said to have started shortly after the turn of the Century near Waikiki. Early surfers often encountered sharks while surfing far from shore. In order to ride the big waves, they would have to risk toothsome encounters from the sharks. It was around 1906 that a young Hawaiian surfer remembered as “Chuck”, who, on a dare, brought his pet cat along surfing with him. On one of his rides, he noticed the cat hissing and shrieking on the front edge of his board. A few minutes later, the gigantic fin of a Tiger shark was spotted lurking in the surf about 10 feet away. Chuck quickly alerted fellow surfers as they hurriedly paddled back to shore. The group’s safety was attributed to Chuck’s cat, and surfer’s thereafter often brought cats along with them. The signal of a shark sighting became a closed fist with two fingers, the pinky and thumb, ex- tended. This was said to resemble a cat’s head and was given to all surfers at the first sighting of a shark. This sign was also accompanied by the utterance “shaak!” (shark). As time passed, this “good luck” sign or gesture came to be used throughout the community. The word “shaka” gradually changed to “shaka”, probably due to the influence of the automobile. When the Maneki Neko, brought to Hawaii by the early Japanese immigrants, established itself in Hawaiian society, the story of Chuck’s cat was destined to influence MEJIRO ENTERPRISES into creating a Maneki Neko hybrid figure or “Shaka Cat”. So today, when you see a Mejiro Hawaiian “Shaka” cat bank with the cat holding a surfboard and flashing the “shaka” sign, think of Chuck and his cat for this figurine will bring you good luck! © 1986 MEJIRO ENTERPRISES • Courtesy of Mejiro Enterprises Clyde Chee 9
10 Mejiro Ceramics
BANKS CHAPTER 1 SHAKA CAT (BIG BRAH) The shaka cats are six inches tall and their big brother known as “Big Brah” comes at eight inches tall. Shaka cats take a long time to paint, at least an hour or so long. The cats were lined up and painted; there were many different variations that were made. The shaka cats were made in the mid-eighties through the early nineties. All shaka cats came with a yellow flier called (The Legend), a story about the shaka cats. The shaka cats are equipped with a yellow stopper, sunglasses, boogie board and rubber slippers waving the shaka sign. The black shaka cats were also six inches tall as well as the “Big Brah” at eight inches tall. The black shaka cats are harder to find and a limited supply was made. There were only two sizes that were made; the six and eight-inch cats. The black shaka cats are equipped with pink sunglasses, red outlined shorts and a blue boogie board. They also wear gold rubber slippers and come with a yellow stopper. Photo: Clyde Chee Clyde Chee 11
Shaka Cat Banks L to R, Big Brah stands at 8 inches tall, Shaka Cats at 6 inches and Black Big Brah at 8 inches. This small black shaka cat is very rare as to the white cat is also very rare for its Photos: Ken Tanaka gold-painted shades. 12 Mejiro Ceramics
The Bumbucha on the left stands at 13 inches tall with rubies on the collar and made with short straight whiskers. The Bumbucha Shaka Cats were the biggest ones made. They were made in the late eighties and possibly early nineties. A limited supply of Bumbuchas were made. Photo: Ken Tanaka The Bumbucha on the right also made with rubies on the collar with a different flower pattern. Made with long pink whiskers. The bibs were glittered with various colors such as orange, green and blue. Photo: Clyde Chee Clyde Chee 13
Hayden Mango Banks: Four inches in height and 8 inches in diameter. The mould was made from an actual Hayden mango from the founder’s back yard. A Hydrastone Master mold was used in this procedure. This photo shows the bank hole equipped with a yellow stopper. This was a very popular item and very few were made because it was out of season. Photos: Clyde Chee 14 Mejiro Ceramics
New Year’s Mochi Bank: A large version of the traditional New Year’s mochi, designed like a bank. Equipped with a tangerine on the top with two leaves. It is based with gold paper and a stopper on the bottom. Photos: Clyde Chee 5.5 inches high, the bottom layer 14.5 inches, the second layer 12 inches and the tangerine, 7.5 inches in diameter. Clyde Chee 15
BANKS: Porcelain Bunny Banks were made in various variations with a bank hole that has no stoppers. It is 10 inches or smaller in diameter. Bunny Bank: This Bunny Bank has its ears separated. All Bunny Banks were made with a puff ball tail. (below) Photos: Ken Tanaka 16 Mejiro Ceramics
Bunny Banks: Another version of the bunny bank with its ears far apart from one another. PAINTED WITH HEART-SHAPED CHEEKS AND NOSE. Photo: Ken Tanaka CAT BANK: Porcelain cat banks were made similar to the bunny bank. The cat banks have shorter ears with a long tail. Made with a bank hole with no stopper. Photo: Clyde Chee Clyde Chee 17
SUGAR MILL BANKS: These banks were created and made to stand 4.5 inches High to the top of the sugar mill sugar stack, 3 and 3.4 inches in width. The bank hole shown in this photo on the side of the roof included with a stopper on the bottom; various phases were made, like the “Puu Ka Teet Sugar Mill”. Photos: Clyde Chee 18 Mejiro Ceramics
BOWLS CHAPTER 2 All Mejiro bowls have wide, flat rims for easy gripping and no spills. They are white bodied and are decorated on the tops of the rims and in the bottom center of the bowl. They come in two sizes—small and large. All bowls were hand thrown, made for the children so that they would have an easier time scooping their meal or cereal into their mouths. There were different variations of bowls made. Some were de- signed with ducks and alphabets so that the children could spell and write each letter. The alphabet was stamped and placed between each duck. For example, ABC duck, DEF duck, and so forth. The Heart with stem bowls are similar to the duck bowls, and bunny bowls, same format. Other bowls made, such as duck with stars and other variations have never been found. SEE PUPPY BOWLS ON PAGE 57 Photo: Clyde Chee Clyde Chee 19
DUCK BOWLS: Top – 10-Ducks stamp bowl 1.7 inches high and 5 inches in diameter. 12-Ducks stamp bowl two inches high and 5 inches in diameter. Photos: Clyde Chee 20 Mejiro Ceramics
HEART BOWL: Top – 12-Hearts w/ stems stamp bowl; size similar to the duck bowls. Photo: Ken Tanaka 14-Hearts w/stems stamp bowl for the children at heart. Courtesy Photo Clyde Chee 21
BUNNY BOWLS: 12-Bunnies stamp bowl. Same in size as duck and heart bowls. Photo: Ken Tanaka ANIMAL BOWL: 10-Stamp animal bowl. Similar in size to duck and heart bowls. Photo: Clyde Chee 22 Mejiro Ceramics
COLANDERS CHAPTER 3 All Colanders come in two sizes, small and large except the Heart colanders. All colanders were hand thrown on a wheel and are equipped with handles and easy drain feet. The Heart colanders make a great gift around Valentine’s Day or any special occasion. It comes in several different sizes. The Duck colanders are similar to the Heart colanders in exception of painted yellow ducks with duck-shaped holes. The Jellybean colanders were designed and made exceptionally well and are very hard to find. Similar to the Heart and Duck colanders, the Jellybean colanders have jellybean-shaped holes with various colors of painted jellybeans. The Watermelon colanders were good sellers and made only in two sizes, small and large. The Watermelon colanders were designed with the seed holes in the shape of a flower that gave the Watermelon colander its own identity. LARGE JELLY BEAN COLANDER Photo: Clyde Chee Clyde Chee 23
HEART COLANDERS: Top – Small heart colanders with heart-shaped holes and Courtesy Photo red-painted hearts. Large Heart Colander that is 4.2 inches in height and 8 inches in diameter. Photo: Clyde Chee 24 Mejiro Ceramics
DUCK COLANDERS: Top – Small Duck Colanders designed with duck-shaped holes and yellow ducks with orange beaks. A large duck colander similar to the heart colander with handles. Photos: Ken Tanaka Clyde Chee 25
WATERMELON COLANDER: A unique one-of-a-kind watermelon colander that has an alternating dark and light green color on the outside. The inside is pink with seed-shaped holes and has no handles. Photo: Ken Tanaka JELLYBEAN COLANDER: This amazing jellybean colander has handles on the outside mixed in with variety of colors and jellybean-shaped holes; 2.5” in height, 5” in diameter. Photo: Clyde Chee 26 Mejiro Ceramics
CONTAINERS CHAPTER 4 The idea of the cone sushi container came from using a plaster mold and an actual cone sushi from an okazu-ya place in Moiliili, Oahu that is no longer in business today. The Kamaboko fish cake containers are truly a work of art and almost resembles the real thing. They can be found in your nearest local grocery store but not the ceramic kind. The kamaboko fish cake containers were made in red, green, yellow and pink. The Tofu for Two container looks exactly like a tofu container and believe it or not, the container came with plastic green onions. Most people who bought the tofu containers threw away the plastic green onions. The Poi Bowl containers are great for a luau designed with a wooden spoon sticking out of the container of poi. It has a red dot inside the bowl to line up with the spoon; it will not fit any other way. KAMABOKO CONTAINER: Shows the container in use. Photo: Clyde Chee Clyde Chee 27
CONE SUSHI CONTAINER: A two-piece cone sushi container with rice texture surface added with carrots and beans. KAMABOKO FISH CAKE CONTAINER: A slab of fish cake with two slices cut on a wooden base with the main body as the container lid. 5.2 inches long and 2 inches in height. Photos: Clyde Chee 28 Mejiro Ceramics
POI BOWL CONTAINER: Hawaiian luau “PAPER” bowl filled with poi, a wood spoon serves as the handle for the lid. A red dot on the inner lip aligns with the spoon for a custom fit. A label on the front that reads, “Industrial Strength Poi”. TOFU CONTAINER: Tofu for Two Container stands at 3.4 inches high and 4.3 and Photos: Clyde Chee 3-1/2 to 4 inches in width. The tofu is the lid for the container. Clyde Chee 29
NOTES 30 Mejiro Ceramics
MANAPUA ITEMS CHAPTER 5 The Manapua paperweights were made in large quantity that had a paper underneath it. Many of us tore the paper off from the paperweights like tearing off the paper from a real manapua. There were different variations of manapuas made. Some were made with a different style kanji and some with just a single dot (as shown in photo). There were also green manapuas that were made to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day. Manapua pins were made; they were the size of an M&M candy. It was called the “Dim Sum” pins and came with a card that has a steamer basket motif. Salt and Pepper shakers were slightly a little smaller than the paperweights. They also have a Chinese character on the top, meaning “Double Happiness!” The salt shaker was stamped with a single red dot on the top. The pepper shaker was stamped with “Double Happiness!” with three holes and some with six holes. The Manapua Containers were similar to the paperweights except for its cover and deep container that has a groove to keep the top in place. A red dot is indicated on the bottom of the lid as well as on the inside of the groove of the container to line up both top and bottom. The Manapua Clock came with a pink box and a great collection to add to any home or office. They are hard to find and made to perfection—a vintage manapua collectible to have in your collection. There were two different variations of clocks made. One clock had a rounded edge “Double Happiness!” stamp that included a “Manapua Time” wording stamp on the bottom in front of the clock. The second version had a straight edge “Double Happiness!” stamp without the “Manapua Time” wording stamp in front. Photo: Clyde Chee Clyde Chee 31
MANAPUA PAPERWEIGHT: The Manapua paperweight is 3 inches in diameter with a red stamp of “Double Happiness!” (Chinese Good Luck) on the top. The bottom of the Manapua paperweight shows a hole covered with a clear paper and the Mejiro stamp. Photos: Clyde Chee 32 Mejiro Ceramics
The single dot Manapua Paperweight is just one of the different paperweights made. Harder to find. Photos: Clyde Chee A different “Double Happiness!” stamp (Chinese Happiness) shown here is hard to find. Clyde Chee 33
MANAPUA S&P SHAKERS: These Manapua S&P Shakers have the same “Double Happiness!” stamp. One of the two styles are similar to the paperweights but smaller. 7.5 inches in diameter with yellow stoppers on the bottom. The second style features the S&P shaker with a single hole red dot stamp, Black Sugar. The pepper shaker has a “Double Happiness!” stamp, also 7.5 inches in diameter with yellow stoppers on the bottom. Photos: Clyde Chee 34 Mejiro Ceramics
MANAPUA CONTAINER: Same dimensions as the paperweights, except this one is a container with a removal lid. Red keys on the lid allows a proper seal to a custom fit. MANAPUA PIN: The Dim Sum pins come with a Good Luck stamp on Photos: Clyde Chee top, mounted with a cardboard backing and clutch backs are used to secure the pins. Clyde Chee 35
MANAPUA CLOCK: A battery- operated Manapua Wall Clock about 8 inches in diameter with corner ‘wax paper’ tabs runs on one AA battery. Features metal hands and a “Manapua Time” wording stamp on the bottom of the Double Happiness stamp. This Manapua Clock has no “Manapua Time” wording stamp and comes with gold metal hands and is 8 inches in diameter. Photos: Ken Tanaka 36 Mejiro Ceramics
MUSUBI ITEMS CHAPTER 6 The Musubi Clock was made with the finest craftsmanship. How it was made or how much musubi time it took to make remains a Mejiro secret. The rice part of the musubi is very detailed, centered with a rough coating of nori in a rectangular shape. The center of the Musubi Clock has a large red circle identifying itself as the “ume” (pickled plum) included with two wooden sticks that gives the time and a red metal needle that counts the seconds. It uses two AA batteries. The Salt and Pepper shakers are two rectangular-shaped rice cakes. The salt shaker is a plain white rice cake without the nori wrapped around it with a single hole. The pepper shaker has nori wrapped around the rice cake with three holes. The Musubi paperweights are rectangular-shaped rice cakes with nori wrapped around it. It features a hole in the center with a red puff ball (picked plum) acting as the “ume”. There were many different stamps that were placed on the musubi paperweights. Clyde Chee 37
MUSUBI CLOCK: Eight inches in height, a battery-operated Musubi Wall Clock that operates with one AA battery. MUSUBI S&P SHAKERS: 1.6 inches in height, the white rice is the salt shaker Photos: Clyde Chee and the rice with the nori is the pepper shaker. Both have rice textured surfaces. 38 Mejiro Ceramics
MUSUBI PAPERWEIGHTS: Two inches in height, a Musubi Paperweight with a red “ume” (pickled plum) inside. These musubis have rice and seaweed-textured surfaces. Here is a Musubi paperweight that has a red stamp on the inside acting as the red “ume” (pickled plum). Photos: Clyde Chee Clyde Chee 39
NOTES 40 Mejiro Ceramics
PLANTERS CHAPTER 7 There were many assortments of Planters made that included real live cactus plants in them. Just add water twice a week, give it lots of sunshine and feel proud to own a happy Mejiro cactus that your friends and neighbors would want to own too! The Planters are about an inch or so high and vary in width. An assortment of planters made included a heart-shaped planter, a white planter with a red imprint heart on it, made especially for Valentine’s Day, a similar version with a duck stamp on it, and a pink basket-shaped with the handles overlapping. All planters were made with a drainage bottom. Photo: Ken Tanaka Photo: Clyde Chee Photo: Clyde Chee Clyde Chee 41
HEART PLANTER: This Heart Planter was made for Valentine’s Day and stands at 1.3 inches in height. Photo: Ken Tanaka DUCK PLANTER: Similar to the Heart Planter, it stands 1.3 inches in height. The planters were also used to hold live cactus plants. Photo: Clyde Chee 42 Mejiro Ceramics
HEART-SHAPED PLANTERS: Different variations of the Heart- Shaped Planters were made. This one is a deeper planter also used to hold live cactus plants. Photo: Ken Tanaka These Planters were painted red; the one on the right is a little shallower that the one Photo: Clyde Chee on the left. Most of the heart planters were found without the Mejiro stamp. Clyde Chee 43
PINK BASKET PLANTERS: These planters are similar to the heart-shaped planters that did not have the Mejiro stamp and are similar in size. Another version of the pink basket planters. Photos: Ken Tanaka They were all handmade to perfection. 44 Mejiro Ceramics
SNACK PINS CHAPTER 8 Local snacks were made into pins made out of ceramic with a needle pin glued in the back so you can wear it wherever you went and have people say, “Eh, you have something stuck on your clothes!” A great fashion statement. The Mochi Crunch pins were the island favorites and today they are difficult to find. “Kaki Mochi” with nori and the Hot dog-shaped “kaki mochi” do exist but have never been found. Other pins include the “Cracker Ball” pin, the kind of fireworks that used to be thrown on the ground on New Year’s Eve. Another island favorite is the New Year’s Mochi pin, a two-layer mochi with a tangerine on the top with two leaves. The Dim Sum Manapua pin is a mini-replica of the manapua stamped with “Double Happiness!” and has been one of my favorites. Spam pins (a mini slice of Spam) with a different phrase on it such as “Crude Oil”, Hawaiian Gour- met and “The Right Stuff” were also made. Clyde Chee 45
SAKURA (Cherry Blossom) MOCHI CRUNCH PIN: A Cherry Blossom-shaped brown mochi crunch pin with mochi crunch package motif on card. Clutch backs are used to secure pin. NORI (Seaweed) MOCHI CRUNCH PINS (Arare) Nori-wrapped mochi crunch pin, brown and black in color with mochi crunch package motif on card. Clutch backs are used to secure pin. Photos: Clyde Chee 46 Mejiro Ceramics
SPOON RESTS CHAPTER 9 The Slices of Spam spoon rest, a genuine replica of a slice of spaam cut to perfection and sponged to get the exact color of what a real slice of spam looks like. The slice of spam also made with a dip in the middle of the spam to hold the spoon in its place to rest. Though Mejiro had made many, The Slice of Spam is a local favorite. The Portuguese Sausage spoon rest is a Mejiro Brand 3 oz. net wt. sausage that came with a yellow tie and a paper bag. The sausage was sponged with a color to come as close as what a real Portuguese sausage looks like. The spoon rest has the sausage in an oval shape with the middle as the resting place for the spoon. Both Spam and Portuguese sausage spoon rests come with rubber tabs on the bottom to hold it in place. Photo: Clyde Chee Clyde Chee 47
A SLICE OF SPAAM SPOON REST: A replica of a slice of Spam with a depression in the middle that serves as a spoon rest. 4.4 inches by 2.5 inches and reddish pink in color. PORTUGUESE SAUSAGE SPOON REST: A 3 oz. Mejiro Brand Portuguese Sausage spoon rest. It is 3-1/2 to 5 inches by 4-1/2 to five inches. Photos: Clyde Chee 48 Mejiro Ceramics
TRIVETS CHAPTER 10 An assortment of Trivets were made with the very finest craftsmanship. The “Checker Bomb” trivet, better known as the “Firecracker” trivet went through several firings and sent to several companies to complete a portion of this trivet. The Checker Bomb trivet is described as a rep- lica of a pack of firecrackers, unwrapped and ready to be lit—a unique trivet to have in your collection. The Mosquito Punk trivet replica, designed to look like a real mosquito coil, appears already lit to keep the mosquitoes away. A stencil coil was used in the process. The production of the Mosquito Punk trivet was limited. The more mosquitoes there were, more trivets were used. The Hawaiian Tilapia trivet, a replica of a can of sardines made by Mejiro with the fish waving its fin, flashes the “shaka” sign. The name “Ala Wai” comes from a canal in Waikiki. The canal is known for its distinctive smell, the home of the Tilapias—one of the finest Mejiro art pieces that is very difficult to find. It is a great collection to have and a very unique piece; one of Hawaii’s own “Da Hawaiian Tilapia” trivet, in pure canal waters. The Saloon Pilot trivet originated from the famous Hilo Cracker. There were two different versions made, one version had holes in the cracker that you could see through; the other version had small- er holes that you could barely see through. The ones with the smaller holes, pinholes, are known to be the earlier ones, and harder to retrieve. The mold of the saloon pilot trivets are known to stretch as they got older and a change of temperature would also cause the mold to stretch. So the next time you’re in Hilo munching on a Saloon Pilot cracker, think about the Mejiro brand; it makes a great collectible. Photo: Clyde Chee 49 Clyde Chee
CHECKER BOMB TRIVET: 5x5.4 inches, this red and blue-colored trivet is a replica made to look like a pack of firecrackers. MOSQUITO PUNK TRIVET: 5.7 inches I diameter, this green and red trivet is a Photos: Clyde Chee replica of an actual mosquito punk. 50 Mejiro Ceramics
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