Queen Lili'uokalani and the Kalākaua Cape

William F. Cogswell, Queen Lili'uokalani, 1891, oil on canvas, 243.8 x 182.9 cm (Hawai‘i State Archives) and Maria Kealaulaokalani Lane Ena, ʻAhu ʻula (The Kalākaua Cape), late nineteenth century, red ʻiʻiwi feathers, yellow and black ʻōʻō feathers, and olonā fiber, 76.2 x 193 cm (National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution)
A conversation with Dr. Kate Clarke Lemay, Historian, National Portrait Gallery, and Dr. Beth Harris in the exhibition "1898: U.S. Imperial Visions and Revisions" at the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

[@traviswadezinn]

Beautiful, thank you for the presentation

[@aperson900]

The Victorian gear looks old fashioned and the dramatic, abstract cape looks crisp and modern.

[@OperationHawaiiana]

it's not modern. they were done very very VERY well too. if you look Up ahu'ula you'll see what I mean

[@inserttapehere276]

Not quite sure what else is in that exhibit but if there is, there should probably be a section on the Philippine American War. I implore you, you know what to do. It’s a very rarely talked about part of US history

[@Sasha0927]

This is a first! I've never seen Hawaii-based art on this channel, so I'm pleasantly surprised to be reminded that, 1200 videos later, there's still much more I haven't seen. I'm also not used to hearing about Hawaii in general - especially historically - so it was very interesting to learn about this monarchy and how things changed to create Hawaii as I understand it today. I feel for the 'ō'ō bird, though... Just looking at the Kalākaua Cape here, I can imagine why they're now extinct...

[@allisonhiilani5898]

I’m Native Hawaiian from Kauai and the feathers for the capes were often sourced sustainably by catching them, having some feathers plucked from them and then they were released to maintain the population numbers for future use. The O’o went extinct because of habitat destruction and the introduction of rats, pigs and mosquitoes.

[@allisonhiilani5898]

Kanakas were well versed in living in balance with the environment, creating ahu’ula was not the source of their extinction

[@Sasha0927]

@@allisonhiilani5898 That's great information, thank you for sharing. I'm still sorry they're extinct, but somewhat relieved to know there were more complex causes involved.

[@OperationHawaiiana]

@@allisonhiilani5898 I am currrently in contact with a featherwork master and we are currently trying to figure out the meanigns of all these symbols that imply around the capes, for instance with the cresents and circles. Yellow feathers represent supremety in ones genealogy, red is power or "redness" which I mostly relate to the will of the person in what they do, and green feathers represent lineages connection to the Kingdom of Maui. on a painting of the coat of arms by brook parker, he has the royal twins depicted with green feathers though they are of Kaua'i and big island lineage. though this is, they were raised under king kekaulike of maui and are often called the Kapu twins of Kekaulike.

[@ChiefRxcka]

Almost looks like a Wu Tang "W". Very impressively done.

[@matildo4ka7]

Bring it back to Hawaii, wth 🤦🤦🤦

[@matildo4ka7]

If its not in Hawaii, it should be.

[@dtcdragon7164]

Pretty sure it’s regularly exhibited in Hawai’i, just being exhibited outside of Hawai’i temporarily. Luckily not another example of imperialism in art but rather a sharing of cultural identity and sovereignty, the power of the monarch.