Preservation open house features kahili from Hulihe'e Palace

Library open house on Sunday, February 22, features 19th century Hawaiian cultural materials

Preservationists have uncovered exciting information about how 19th century kahili were crafted.

Project consultants have documented hundreds of branches from dismantled kahili.

The University of Hawaiʻi Library’s Preservation Department is partnering with Daughters of Hawaiʻi on a FEMA-funded project to stabilize cultural materials from Hulihe'e Palace that were damaged by the 2011 tsunami.

At an open house to be held on Sunday, February 22 (fifth floor of the Hamilton Addition, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.), the community is invited to see four hand-held kahili and learn about the work being done to care for them. Hawaiian feather work experts Mele Kahalepuna Chun and Kawika Lum will be on hand with objects conservator Alex Allardt to answer questions.

Although the kahili were in poor condition prior to the tsunami, and were never intended for display, they offer a unique opportunity to get up close and understand the design and skill of the artists who constructed them. Steps are being taken to stabilize the kahili by removing salt and dirt deposits from the feathers, wrappings and handles. This stabilization will ensure that the kahili are available for future research.

Mele Kahalepuna Chun will also showcase some of the contemporary Hawaiian feather work featured at her family’s store, Na Lima Mili Hulu Noeau, in Kaimuki.

Extended photo captions

Photo 1: The initial of assessments of the hand-held kahili from Hulihe'e Palace in the UHM Library’s Preservation Department uncover exciting information about how kahili were crafted in the 19th century.  From right to left: Lynn Davis (Head of the Library’s Preservation Department), Kawika Lum (Hawaiian feather work artist), Alex Allardt (Cultural Objects Conservator) and Mele Kahalepuna Chun (3rd generation Hawaiian feather work artist and proprietor of the family store Na Lima Mili Hulu Noeau in Kaimuki).

Photo 2: Consultants (right to left) Kawika Lum (Hawaiian feather work artist), Alex Allardt (Cultural Objects Conservator) and Mele Kahalepuna Chun (3rd generation Hawaiian feather work artist and proprietor of the family store Na Lima Mili Hulu Noeau in Kaimuki) document hundreds of branches from dismantled kahili. Kahili were often dismantled after an event and the branches offer insight into the 19th century Native Hawaiian cultural heritage. 

For more information, visit: http://library.manoa.hawaii.edu/departments/preservation/index.html