79 A cape belonging to Kaumuali‘i, who assumed the title of chief over the islands of Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau after the death of his parents, endures as a symbol of an agreement he forged with Kamehameha I in 1810. Rather than wage a war of resistance, Kaumuali‘i ceded the islands to Kamehameha I, enabling him to coalesce his power and unify the Hawaiian Islands under his rule. After unifi cation of the islands by Kamehameha I, the use of featherwork evolved alongside the archipelago’s rapidly changing society. Visitors from around the globe arrived in the Hawaiian Islands and acquired these prestigious possessions on their voyages of exploration or trade. Throughout the nineteenth century, these rare and distinctively Hawaiian treasures served as diplomatic gifts for the Kamehameha and Kalakaua dynasties. Like feathered garments, kahili (staffs with feathered fi nials) were symbols of noble rank, and they were displayed at such ceremonies as coronations and funerals (fi gs. 17 and 18). They could be grand in scale—carried or standing upright in large wood stands—or small, held in attendants’ hands. They were widely used by members of the Kamehameha dynasty and later monarchs and often were given personal names that linked them to their owners. More than twenty feather leis—spanning two centuries and drawn from the collection of the Bishop Museum—are also included in the exhibition, offering visitors a glimpse at the variety of feathers and patterns incorporated into the simple circular form that customarily is given as an expression of love or friendship. Mary Kawena Pukui (1895– 1986), a scholar of Hawaiian cultural practices and beliefs, gave her thoughts about the meaning of lei recorded on May 19, 1964: “A lei—what is it? . . . A lei is a baby dearly loved. . . . A lei is a sweetheart. . . . A lei is a chanted poem or song accompanying a fl ower lei. . . . Leis made of the feathers of our native birds were reserved for royalty only.”29 Royal Hawaiian Featherwork: Na Hulu Ali‘i Through February 28, 2016 De Young Museum, San Francisco www.famsf.org March 19–May 23, 2016 Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawai‘i www.bishopmuseum.org Royal Hawaiian Featherwork
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