The image that most of us have of President Harry Truman is of him very nattily dressed in a double-breasted suit. Harry knew something about clothes—he was a former haberdasher after all-- and he had a professional’s eye for sartorial excellence.
Most people are less familiar with Harry’s more relaxed mode of dress. When he would escape the pressure cooker of Washington politics for relaxing time at the “Little White House” in Key West, admirers started sending him Hawaiian shirts so he would have something more comfortable to enjoy his time there. Since Harry and Bess were known to enjoy a cocktail or two with friends at the end of the day, we thought it would be very appropriate and very cool to have a Tiki Mug commissioned in his honor so we all could enjoy a cocktail served in a Truman Tiki Mug.
What is a Tiki Mug and what is Tiki Culture? Tiki purists will tell you that Tiki is the genre inspired by 1930s to 1950s Hawaiian and Polynesian pop styles, blending these cultures with specific types of drinks, food, and décor. We wanted only the best for our museum store, so we approached Holden Westland, the owner and founder of The Tiki Farm, the world's largest designer and manufacturer of custom ceramic drink and barware products. Holden is a big Harry Truman fan and he personally guided us through the design process. At first, most of the iterations looked more like busts of Harry Truman, but when we made it clear that we wanted something that looked closer to a Polynesian sculpture—more like a Moai—Holden and his team were able to quickly come up with a design that we feel is a winner.
Our Truman Tiki Mug is finished with a beautiful Earthen Cobalt glaze that highlights the unique carved design of the vessel. Remember—these mugs were created under a limited production run of 200 pieces and when they are gone there will be no more! Get yours now!
Artist: Tank Standing BuffaloOriginal release year: 2022Material: Ceramic stonewareCapacity: 23 oz. Height: 6 7/8”
Your purchase helps support the educational and exhibit programs of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum.