item details
Overview
In 18th and 19th century Hawaiian society, Kahili came in the form of feathered staffs, sceptres and fly whisks. They were primarily used to show a chief's status, lineage and family ties. It's symbolism and importance reflected in its handling, generally taken care of by a person who was attending to the high chief.
Today, their uses ranged from cherished heirlooms, swatting away flies and symbolic objects that acted as the emblem of nobility and displayed at special events such as funerals and birthdays or the opening and closing of parliament.
Construction
The handle and stand of this Kahili are made of wood; a piece of white cloth is attached and bound to the top of the handle. Black, white and red dyed feathers have been lashed to a central rod that is connected to the handle.
Examples of other Kahili have included handles that were crafted from local materials such as bone, tortoise shells and native wood and in more recent times, imported materials like ivory, silver and gold. The attachment of the cloth on the handle was symbolic with some Kahili as it emphasized the high value placed on European cloth in the period of early contact with outsiders.
A variety of birds and feathers were used by indigenous Hawaiians, including the O’o (Moho nobilis) bird that had black and yellow feathers, the yellow of which were highly prized components of Hawaiian feather cloaks, and the Pueo bird (Asio fammeus sandwichensis) commonly known as the owl, regarded by many Hawaiians as a deity.
Acquisition HistoryThis ceremonial kahili was presented to Te Papa Tongarewa by members of the Mid-Pacific Institute hula halau led by Michael L Casupang, Karl V Baker and Vicky H Takamine from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. They were members of a Hawaiian contingent who participated in the conference Culture Moves! Dance in Oceania from heiva to hip hop (9-12 November 2005).
It was common for kahili to have personal names, this kahili was named 'Nga kaha manu here i te aroha' (the emblems of unification) by Morvin and Kura Simon, who were Te Papa Tongarewa's resident kaumatua from Wanganui at the time.
Culture Moves! Dance in Oceania from heiva to hip hopThe conference Culture Moves! was a collaboration between The Centre for Pacific Island Studies at the University of Hawai'i, Pacific Studies at Victoria University of Wellington and Te Papa Tongarewa, Museum of New Zealand. This conference was the first of its kind and brought together academics with Pacific artists involved with indigenous, contemporary and hip hop music and dance.
Dance and music are central to Pacific cultures and the conference was designed to highlight how dance can be a valuable source for connecting and promoting culture. Pacific people living in diasporic communities, like that in New Zealand, Australia and the United States use dance to express and connect to their ancestors and the island group that they identify with.
References
Arning, E. translated by Speidel, G. (2008). Old