cape
- Museum number
- Oc,HAW.137.a
- Description
-
Kipuka (cape) made of brown and greenish black chicken tail feathers as well as red ʻiʻiwi feathers and yellow ʻōʻō feathers, attached in bundles to an olonā fibre nae (net). The kipuka has a wide shallow neck and a short collar.
There is a wide band of red ʻiʻiwi feathers along the neck and collar, followed by a row of yellow ʻōʻō feathers, then a second band of red and final row of yellow. The lower section of the kipuka is comprised entirely of long brown and greenish black chicken feathers.
The nae is attached to a plaited olonā fibre cord along the neckline and collars. The top edge of the nae has been attached to the cord by being sandwiched between the plaited strands of the cordage. On the front of the kipuka the cord is covered by a band of red feathers. The cords meet at the intersection of the neck and collar and combine to create ties; the cords also extend slightly below the collar where they are knotted and cut, it is possible that they originally would have been longer.
Along the lower edge of the nae a single strand of plant fibre thread has been woven through the nae.
- Production date
- 19thC
- Dimensions
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Height: 47 centimetres
-
Width: 89.50 centimetres
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Depth: 1.20 centimetres
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition notes
- Acquisition details unknown. In the collections of the British Museum pre 1900.
Description in bound volume of registration slips of the Hawaiian collection, written by James Edge Partington(?) in the 19th century:
"Hawaii
Feather cape (ahūūla) formed of a groundwork of olona fibre netting on which the feathers are sewn. This cape is of black cocks’ feathers with round neck and down the sides 4 alternate bands of iiwi & oo feathers, the iiwi being the broadest.
L. round neck 1 ft 2 in.
L. round base 3 ft 10 in
B. at centre 1 ft 2 in"
- Department
- Africa, Oceania and the Americas
- Registration number
- Oc,HAW.137.a
- Additional IDs
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CDMS number: Oc????D6.10137 (old CDMS no.)
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Miscellaneous number: 33 (Brigham catalogue number)
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Miscellaneous number: Oc1979,Q.848