King Kahuka's mouth

[zinnn]

Ok, this has been bothering me since I was a kid, and I still cannot unsee it.

When looking at King's mask, where is his mouth?

Is it the 'O' round shaped hole below the nose?

 

Or is it the super wide smile?

 

I always go with the smile option, but my brain tells me it's just badly molded nose :P

Is there a way to officially confirm this?

Edited August 14, 2021 by zinnn

[Elephant Knight]

It's a mask, so maybe it doesn't have an actual mouth?

EKight

[zinnn]

5 minutes ago, Elephant Knight said:

It's a mask, so maybe it doesn't have an actual mouth? 

EKight

masks can have carved mouths as well

[CaptainMoore]

I have always seen a smile like you do but since I own the enchanted island set and the different objects (shield, sail etc) with the King's face, I think the intentional face is the "o" one

It bugs me a lot

[Mister Phes]

8 hours ago, Elephant Knight said:

It's a mask, so maybe it doesn't have an actual mouth?

This is what I always assumed... the mask doesn't actually have a mouth.

It's also been assumed the Indigo Islanders were  inspired by Polynesian cultures... BUT exactly which real-world culture(s) have masks anything like Kahuna's? 

Maybe if we establish the direct cultural inspiration, we can further determine whether the mask is intended to have a mouth or not.

Here is a side-by-side comparison by Noriart of the recent Tribal Warrior and Kahuna... the newer minifig seems a lot more grounded in reality whereas Kahuna is more fantasy.

[Ardelon]

I usually saw the mask as not having a mouth - the circle seemed to me as a consequence of the molding process (don't know if that's true) and I saw the smiley ridge as just part of the decorated engraved lines, as around the eyes. But looking at the shields and sails, the circle is so prominent that it seems obvious that it is supposed to be the mouth.

[kurigan]

Why not a sticker with a toothy grin, similar to the newer version, which would have hid the sprue mark, but was canceled by Lego late in development, as was often the case back in the day? 

Edited August 15, 2021 by kurigan

[kurigan]

 

[Jack Sassy]

23 hours ago, kurigan said:

Blast me down to Davy Jones' Locker, please. 

[blackdeathgr]

Bah, I prefer the "no mouth" explanation for my king Kahuna! 

[CaptainMoore]

On 8/16/2021 at 11:34 PM, kurigan said:

 

 This is horrible,  and hilarious!

[Mister Phes]

On 8/17/2021 at 7:34 AM, kurigan said:

 

Ok, issue resolved. We can now close this topic.

[kurigan]

21 hours ago, CaptainMoore said:

 This is horrible,  and hilarious!

Oh come on, it can get much worse 

18 hours ago, Mister Phes said:

Ok, issue resolved. We can now close this topic.

It's not that bad, though I did just throw it together. A bit of double sided tape and some printer paper, then just draw it on.

It's funny that this just came up again, though, as I kept this setup all these years.

Spoiler

Cheers! 

Edited August 21, 2021 by kurigan

[Mister Phes]

20 minutes ago, kurigan said:

It's funny that this just came up again, though, as I kept this setup all these years. 

Is that red thing a propane tank?

[Robert8]

Oh god...

I prefer the no mouth explanation 

[kurigan]

6 hours ago, Mister Phes said:

Is that red thing a propane tank?

Yes  It's cheaper in the long run since they just do this for the tourist anymore 

[Mister Phes]

2 hours ago, kurigan said:

Yes  It's cheaper in the long run since they just do this for the tourist anymore 

It's much safer to use one of these...

 

[jan kusters]

I won't repost the Wide Grin King from Kurigan again, but I had to share that I love it!

[Slegengr]

This is quite the thread!  I always considered the round hole to be the mouth, but definitely saw the oversized smile as well.

@kurigan's representation is both humorous and historically plausible!

On 8/14/2021 at 8:47 PM, Mister Phes said:

This is what I always assumed... the mask doesn't actually have a mouth.

It's also been assumed the Indigo Islanders were  inspired by Polynesian cultures... BUT exactly which real-world culture(s) have masks anything like Kahuna's? 

Maybe if we establish the direct cultural inspiration, we can further determine whether the mask is intended to have a mouth or not.

Here is a side-by-side comparison by Noriart of the recent Tribal Warrior and Kahuna... the newer minifig seems a lot more grounded in reality whereas Kahuna is more fantasy.

Maybe the King Kahuka mask was based around Iroquois masks rather than or as well as masks from the Pacific islands or other natives?  There are also plenty of historical references for wooden masks from Africa, though they are both somewhat distinct in style and not as fitting for the original "Pirate" reference.
(This still does not conclusively answer the question of King Kahuka's mask mouth... now I am also confused whether it is "Kahuka" or "Kahuna", though maybe the answer to this question depends on the region/nation/language where released?)
Examples of a couple Iroquois masks somewhat similar to Kahuka's (note 1st has large (tongue-out?) grin, 2nd has round mouth to further confuse the original question):
 https://masksoftheworld.com/iroquois-false-face-mask-2/

https://www.icollector.com/IROQUOIS-MASK_i23142292