Disneyland/Disneyana (20th Century)

Disneyland – Enchanted Tiki Room Uti Hand-Painted Master Prototype (Walt Disney, 2013). This is a stunning hand-painted master prototype for Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily's large figure of Uti, the tiki goddess of fishing. The actual Polynesian legend behind Uti is that she taught mortals how to fish at night by holding a torch above their heads to lure fish close to their boats. Similarly, when the attraction opened in 1963, the real Uti prop at Disneyland was originally displayed overhead at the entrance to the Enchanted Tiki Room, perhaps to lure Park-guests to the attraction as she once lured fish to the boats. The figure was created for the 50th anniversary of the attraction, and this hand-painted "paint master" was used to keep the figures color and style consistent during production. Its original Disney production sample tag is included, which lists this piece as aa "1st prototype," and is dated for 2013. The base is signed by both Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily. It measures 6" x 4" and 21.5" tall. The condition is Very Good with minor surface wear. From the Personal Archives of Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily. HID09710052018 © 2022 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved