Credit noe tanigawa
Credit noe tanigawa
Credit noe tanigawa
The earliest Ni’ihau shell lei on record was collected by James Cook and is now at the British Museum. Queen Kapi’olani wore opera length strands of pearl white Ni’ihau shells when she attended the Queen’s Jubilee in London, and the lei remain a coveted collector’s item today. HPR’s Noe Tanigawa reports on an exhibition of exquisite Ni’ihau shell lei on view now at the Bishop Museum.
"Ni‘ihau Shell Lei: Ocean Origins, Living Traditions" continues at the Bishop Museum in the J. M. Long Gallery until January 27, 2014. In addition to lei of historic importance, the Bishop Museum’s exhibition features the Rick & Chuna Ni‘ihau Shell Collection, 60 certified Ni‘ihau shell lei, made and purchased over the last two decades.
