Post #266893 by boutiki on Wed, Nov 15, 2006 10:02 AM

On a different note, ignoring prices and monetary values... I thought maybe the moderators could merge these threads or perhaps a new one should be started to discuss the aesthetic value of these mosaics. I think they are fantastic, and like Sven and others I'd assumed they were sold as a do-it-yourself kit back in the day. But now I don't. Since we got one, I've been looking at these very closely and there are too many clues that suggest that these were made, if not by one person, than by one company. The quality to too consistent, the design is never exactly the same, there are too many size variations, and I've never seen one incomplete. Ours is marked on the back with a sticker that says, "Sunvan 1990 Alaskan Way Seattle, WA MAin2-6162" and has a Lot number and a Piece number (68?) written in pencil. As most of these appear to be found on the West Coast, (ours came from someone in Northern California) I suspect that this Sunvan company produced and sold these. They probably tried to make them vary in size and imagery to make them appear as unique works of art, but the same imagery appears over and over.

A quick google search for Sunvan yielded a moving and storage company, but the address did not jive. I realized the sticker might just have been put on when someone moved, but my impression was that this sticker is as old as the piece. Ours is missing the original frame, and someone put metal banding on the edge which does not look as good. I'd love to find out more, so if anyone has any insight maybe they'll share. If you have one, check the back for any markings, maybe we can post pictures of the different versions, maybe someone in Seattle can find out more if they really originated from there.... time for some research.

-Duke

Here is a picture of ours:

Here is the label on the back:

Ours also has a curious detail, the Moais long ears is raised higher than the rest of the surface. Do any others have any relief to them?