King Kamehameha in hapawood.

Coco Joe's catalog

303. Kamehameha the Great. Towering god-like Alii (Chief) whose destiny led him to conquer and unite all the Islands under his rulership.

304. Madame Pele. The unpredictable volcano goddess of the ancient Hawaiians. Pele still exists in the minds of many today.

410. The God Lono. In "Puna Rift" lava, Coco Joe portrays a Hawaiian maid kneeling at a Heiau (worshipping place) seeking the blessings of the God Lono, so that she will be loved as she loves.

407. Bountiful Hawaii. Symbolizing the lavish way in which Nature has blessed Hawaii, this picturesque "Puna Rift" lave placque depicts two Hawaiian maids carrying a bounty of tropical foods that grow in the islands.

406. Hula Dancers. A study in "Puna Rift" lava. Hawaii's graceful dancers sway to the melodic rhythms and chants of their Islands' music as they express in movement and melody the language of love, beauty, reverance, and happiness.

409. The God Kukailimoku. The Hawaiians' supreme god of war. This Tiki in "Puna Rift" lava, denotes a mightiness and fierceness as powerful and violent as was its substance when it burst from the volcano.

408. The Tikis. From bubbling cone to Tiki trio. The simple beauty of this plaque's modern form represents a long lost art of carving and the primitive beliefs of the ancient Hawaiians.

Picture of Coco Joe's 'factory' in Hawaii.

coco joe's

Khan Tiki Mon's Coco Joe's collection.

Who is Coco Joe?

Coco Joe was a maker of resin souvenirs sold in Hawaii. The company is now out of business. The Coco Joe's black resin pieces were made from lava. The lava was pulverized and mixed in with the resin. After I started collecting the Coco Joe's black resin plaques and figurines made with lava I read somewhere that it's very bad luck to remove lava from the Hawaiian Islands. My whole life I've never been lucky and misfortune has always seemed to know where I live. I can't honestly report that I feel anymore unlucky now that I have these lava pieces in my possession.