Explore the distinctive art, culture, and history of Hawai‘i with the first exhibition of Hawaiian featherwork on the U.S. mainland, developed in partnership with the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Honolulu. Presented in San Francisco, which is considered to be the gateway to the Pacific, the exhibition will feature approximately 75 rare and stunning examples of the finest featherwork capes and cloaks in existence, as well as royal staffs of feathers (kāhili), feather lei (lei hulu manu), helmets (mahiole), feathered god images (akua hulu manu), and related eighteenth- and nineteenth-century paintings and works on paper.

Handcrafted of plant fiber and rare feathers from endemic birds of the islands, the cloaks (‘ahu‘ula) and capes provided spiritual protection to Hawaiian chiefs, proclaiming their identity and status. The abstract patterns and compositions of royal feathers (nā hulu ali‘i) are both beautiful and full of cultural meaning. While the arrangements of their forms — crescents, triangles, circles, quadrilaterals, and lines — and fields of color appear contemporary, they are ancient. Symbols of the power and status of Hawai‘i’s monarchs at home and abroad, these vibrantly colored treasures of the Hawaiian people endure today as masterpieces of unparalleled artistry, technical skill, and cultural pride.

Featherwork: A Conservator’s Approach

This related exhibition explores the unique challenges around the study and care of feathered objects and textiles. The diverse objects on view are drawn from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco’s permanent collections, and include western hats, African headdresses, an Inuit parka, and a Peruvian feathered wall panel. An interactive touch screen allows visitors to learn more about each feathered object, the damaged sustained by these delicate and fragile pieces, and the scientific testing and conservation techniques that help to preserve them. The exhibition is a result of collaboration between the conservation departments for Textile Arts and Objects at the de Young.