Hawaiian history buffs will have one last chance to view a beautiful artifact with a tragic history.
The p?‘? or skirt of Princess N?hi‘ena‘ena will be taken off display for preservation at the Bishop Museum. N?hi‘ena‘ena was the only daughter of Kamehameha I and Ke?p?olani. The skirt’s construction represented her sacred status as well as her role to give birth to the next great chief. That expectation was never fulfilled, as she died childless at 21. Historians say her grief stricken brother ordered the skirt to be re-sewn into the funeral blanket that covered the caskets of her family as they passed away.
The skirt is the largest piece of Hawaiian feather work ever made, containing one-million yellow, orange, and black feathers plucked from the extinct ‘?‘? bird. Desoto Brown is a historian and archivist with the Bishop Museum.
The feathered skirt of N?hi‘ena‘ena will be on display throughout the weekend in the main hall of the Bishop Museum.
The complete interview with Desoto Brown
A great article by UH Professor John Charlot.
