I promised some weird things I found at the Furniture Mart in Puerto Vallarta. I think this guy qualifies. Maybe his weirdness goes along with having fake, orangish hair. (grin)
Peggy and I have now returned from our trip to Puerto Vallarta. It’s always a good source for blog material. Today, I am going to wrap up our visit to the Furniture Mart, which was right across the street from our hotel. Later I will have several more blogs on PV’s burgeoning art scene as well as get back to a couple of my favorite animals: pelicans and iguanas. I was amused by both the weird things and unique furniture at the Mart. Enjoy. (Note: Some of these photos came from an earlier visit in 2015.)
Do you think that the Furniture Mart could have hung more things on its walls? And do you find the bony fish as amusing as I did?Speaking of fish, I suspect these gave this guy a horrendous headache. I’m pretty sure there is a myth here, but I don’t know it.Here’s a front view of the fellow I introduced at the top of the post. He’s still scary.Not so scary, but still not someone you would want to meet on a dark night. Check out the eyes. The teeth remind me of piranha that Peggy and I caught on the Amazon River— and ate. I found these masks more intriguing than frightening. The blood shot eyes suggest a long night of partying.I think that this is a Mayan warrior. There were several life-size sculptures like this scattered throughout the store. Is he holding a monkey or a baby?A close-up of his head.Senior Metal Head had wild hair and a wiry mustache.But his eyebrows and beard were no match for Senior Rope Hair. As one might imagine, you can find a lot of furniture in a Furniture Mart. This 20 foot table cut from a single log is an example. It appears that the two frogs were impressed.I decided that a large mirror would serve for a selfie. I look appropriately small.How about carved wild horses for a table and chairs?This table was made by cutting through roots of a large tree root. It will be covered with a glass top, I assume.This table featured a colorful, carved ocean scene.Matched by the chairs.
This cabinet, featuring a painted ocean scene, was also quite impressive.
A room divider…As I mentioned in a previous post, the Furniture Mart is a family affair. 85-year-old Grandpa makes these attractive glass lamp-shades.I’ll conclude with an example of the lamp shades being used in a chandelier. My next post on PV will include pelicans and iguanas, but first it will be back to my hike down the PCT.
NEXT POST: A beautiful lake in Lassen National Park along the Pacific Crest Trail, plus Bone makes some new friends.
37 thoughts on “Weird Things— and Unique Furniture… The Furniture Mart Of Puerto Vallarta”
Some pretty strange and gaudy stuff here. Not sure I’d want to tote any of this home with me… unless perhaps Senior Metal Head. He’s probably more my style. 😀
There may have been a little bit of something for everyone in that store, Gunta. 🙂 The head I featured at the top, reminded me of my time in West Africa. (The cover of my book features a similar character.) I really liked some of the carved animals— not that any of them would have come home with me. Senior Metal Head was life size. –Curt
Please say hello to Peggy from ClareBear(may still change to her suggested JellyBear) and Boba(Manolo)- she gave us a ride when we left PCT this summer at Sonora Pass to Bridgeport- so appreciated ! After getting our car in Lone Pine we stopped to see her the next day and you still hadn’t come off the trail! So I logged on to your Blog to make sure you had made it out safely and have been enjoying it ever since. We hope to get back on the PCT as soon as we can this summer though all these fires are worrisome! Happy Trails to you both.
Hi ClareBear. Peggy talked highly of you and your husband. I’ll have her read and respond to your comment. Thanks for following along on my blog! I still have a lot of PCT posts to write. And I am working on a book that includes both my hike this summer and experiences from other trips over the past 50 years. Peggy and I got out about 30 minutes before they closed the road. –Curt
Clarebear! What fun to see this! You and Boba are one of my favorite memories and stories to share from this summer’s adventure. Happy Trails to you too! Peggy
Fearless use of color seems to go with the territory, Cindy. It would be interesting to see a house decorated with some of those items. We have some Mayan stuff in our house, including a head that is quite similar to my close-up of the sculpture. –Curt
Now that is one fascinating store. I do like that room divider. Wonderful wood design. As to the assorted unusual faces and fellows wouldn’t they be something to wake up to in the middle of the night. A great test of cardiac function.
I don’t think I have ever been in a more fascinating one, Sue. It’s amazing what they have done with wood, including the divider. Each time I have been in there, I have spent at least an hour wandering around. Some of those items might even scare off a burglar! 🙂 –Curt
That first fellow looks as though he has Liberian tendencies, right up to the cowrie shell that appears to be implanted in his eye socket. I agree about the vibrant colors — they’re just amazing. The room divider and the table base are my favorites, but I’m not sure I have a room large enough for that table!
There were several pieces/artifacts in the store that had an African feel, Linda. The mask looked like it could be put to good use by the Poro Society. Mexicans have certainly mastered color. I don’t know how much of that is cultural driven and how much is tourist driven. I expect a bit of both. The table base could have come from many of the roots I found along the PCT this summer and also find along the Oregon Coast. It’s a unique way to put them to use. Size-wise, I don’t think any of that furniture is meant for our 1500 square foot size house either. Besides, where would I put all the books?! –Curt
I never have understood why people put fish on their walls (let alone just the skeleton and head), but what the heck ! Most of their style is a bit too colorful for me, but I do like that carved table and chairs depicting horses. That’s unique!
Not very subtle in their color use, G. But it certainly appeals to a lot of people. I caught a Marlin once and was offered the opportunity to put it up on my wall (for a fee of course). I left it in Mexico with the captain of the boat. I pretty much agree with you on putting dead things up on my walls. 🙂 I just didn’t get the skeleton fish, maybe it would go along with the Day of the Dead. The artist did a good job carving the horses. –Curt
They certainly work at it, Craig, given the thousands upon thousands of colorful items. The table made full use of just about everything they have. –Curt
Just occurred to me that objects like this could be the end result of the process you touch on in your next post – managing forests for a sustainable future. All we need is a little joined-up thinking …
A little forward thinking, yes, Dave. What I like to call enlightened self-interest. It works for economics, race relations, forests and a myriad of other things. –Curt
Yes, strategic planning in place of the hand-to-mouth approach we get from ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ politicians … haha, rant over! 🙂
Rand away, Dave! Rant away. 🙂
So much to love here: the glass lampshades, the carved wooden seats, the 20-foot table that I WANT!!! The image of the Mayan warrior reminded me of Egyptian sculptures where the smaller person is also an adult, just less important. That’s one more thing to consider that he is holding.
Wandering through Time and Place 
Some pretty strange and gaudy stuff here. Not sure I’d want to tote any of this home with me… unless perhaps Senior Metal Head. He’s probably more my style. 😀
There may have been a little bit of something for everyone in that store, Gunta. 🙂 The head I featured at the top, reminded me of my time in West Africa. (The cover of my book features a similar character.) I really liked some of the carved animals— not that any of them would have come home with me. Senior Metal Head was life size. –Curt
Wow!! Weird stuff indeed! I really liked that sea-painted cabinet though – and the lamp shades!
I could almost buy that cabinet, M.B.! 🙂 –Curt
Please say hello to Peggy from ClareBear(may still change to her suggested JellyBear) and Boba(Manolo)- she gave us a ride when we left PCT this summer at Sonora Pass to Bridgeport- so appreciated ! After getting our car in Lone Pine we stopped to see her the next day and you still hadn’t come off the trail! So I logged on to your Blog to make sure you had made it out safely and have been enjoying it ever since. We hope to get back on the PCT as soon as we can this summer though all these fires are worrisome! Happy Trails to you both.
Hi ClareBear. Peggy talked highly of you and your husband. I’ll have her read and respond to your comment. Thanks for following along on my blog! I still have a lot of PCT posts to write. And I am working on a book that includes both my hike this summer and experiences from other trips over the past 50 years. Peggy and I got out about 30 minutes before they closed the road. –Curt
Clarebear! What fun to see this! You and Boba are one of my favorite memories and stories to share from this summer’s adventure. Happy Trails to you too! Peggy
I love the fearless use of color and the Mayan influence.
Fearless use of color seems to go with the territory, Cindy. It would be interesting to see a house decorated with some of those items. We have some Mayan stuff in our house, including a head that is quite similar to my close-up of the sculpture. –Curt
Now that is one fascinating store. I do like that room divider. Wonderful wood design. As to the assorted unusual faces and fellows wouldn’t they be something to wake up to in the middle of the night. A great test of cardiac function.
I don’t think I have ever been in a more fascinating one, Sue. It’s amazing what they have done with wood, including the divider. Each time I have been in there, I have spent at least an hour wandering around. Some of those items might even scare off a burglar! 🙂 –Curt
That first fellow looks as though he has Liberian tendencies, right up to the cowrie shell that appears to be implanted in his eye socket. I agree about the vibrant colors — they’re just amazing. The room divider and the table base are my favorites, but I’m not sure I have a room large enough for that table!
There were several pieces/artifacts in the store that had an African feel, Linda. The mask looked like it could be put to good use by the Poro Society. Mexicans have certainly mastered color. I don’t know how much of that is cultural driven and how much is tourist driven. I expect a bit of both. The table base could have come from many of the roots I found along the PCT this summer and also find along the Oregon Coast. It’s a unique way to put them to use. Size-wise, I don’t think any of that furniture is meant for our 1500 square foot size house either. Besides, where would I put all the books?! –Curt
That’s some furniture store.
It’s easy to get lost in, Peggy, both literally and figuratively. 🙂
Kim might let me out a life in my shed but definitely not in the house!
Your man cave… 🙂
I never have understood why people put fish on their walls (let alone just the skeleton and head), but what the heck ! Most of their style is a bit too colorful for me, but I do like that carved table and chairs depicting horses. That’s unique!
Not very subtle in their color use, G. But it certainly appeals to a lot of people. I caught a Marlin once and was offered the opportunity to put it up on my wall (for a fee of course). I left it in Mexico with the captain of the boat. I pretty much agree with you on putting dead things up on my walls. 🙂 I just didn’t get the skeleton fish, maybe it would go along with the Day of the Dead. The artist did a good job carving the horses. –Curt
I never understood why people go fishing for Marlin – you can’t eat it.
In my youth, G. 🙂 I also hunted. –Curt
I shot a rifle since I was 12, but frankly I don’t think I could have hunted.
I was never very serious…
How do they get those colors? Amazing!
They certainly work at it, Craig, given the thousands upon thousands of colorful items. The table made full use of just about everything they have. –Curt
Any mask with fake hair is rather worrying. The room divider is splendid.
Grin. And the room divider was unique. It would definitely be a conversation starter. –Curt
Wow nice one
Thanks, Steve. –Curt
Welcome to the beauty of creativity
Oh seriously weird! Can I like the post without liking anything in the store? 🙂
Alison
Laughing. Absolutely, Alison. –Curt
Just occurred to me that objects like this could be the end result of the process you touch on in your next post – managing forests for a sustainable future. All we need is a little joined-up thinking …
A little forward thinking, yes, Dave. What I like to call enlightened self-interest. It works for economics, race relations, forests and a myriad of other things. –Curt
Yes, strategic planning in place of the hand-to-mouth approach we get from ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ politicians … haha, rant over! 🙂
Rand away, Dave! Rant away. 🙂
So much to love here: the glass lampshades, the carved wooden seats, the 20-foot table that I WANT!!! The image of the Mayan warrior reminded me of Egyptian sculptures where the smaller person is also an adult, just less important. That’s one more thing to consider that he is holding.