Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 2, 1 February 1990 — Subject of guidebook [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Subject of guidebook

Hawaiian treasures in European museums

By Deborah L. Ward Early visitors to Hawai'i — explorers, missionaries and whalers — left with souvenirs of Hawaiian native culture that were dispersed world-wide. Some were presented to European royalty or became part of private collections. Others wound up in museums. Where are these pieces of Hawaii's past now? A new reference guide "Treasures from Hawai'i in the Museums of Europe," presents some answers. The book has just been published by librarian/author Sigrid B. Southworth in a limited, first edition of 300. Southworth is the Hawaiian eolleetion librarian at Kamehameha Schools' Midkiff Learning Center. Born and raised in Hawai'i, Southworth was inspired to write the book by a Bishop Museum exhibit "Artificial Curiosities." The exhibit contained Hawaiian cultural artifacts from museum eolleetions around the world. Southworth took a year's sabbatical leave to research Hawaiian artifacts in European museum collections and to write this guide. This 154-page guidebook is an easily packed paperback listing museums in the United Kingdom and on the European continent that have Hawaiian artifacts on public display. An appendix lists museums with Hawaiian objects in their eollections but that are not on display Southworth said her purpose was to prepare a simple general guide to museums with Hawaiian collections. There are also museums she did not have time to contact but whieh have (or did have) Hawaiian objects. She said a year is not long enough to do an exhaustive search. "Treasures of Hawai'i" summarizes different ways in whieh Hawaiian artifacts foreign visitors onee collected as "curiosities" made their way to the United Kingdom and the European continent. Pacific explorers like Captain James Cook or Jean-Francois de Galoup, known as La Perouse, received some objects as gifts, other objects they bought or traded for. Hawaiian royalty, during their European travels, presented fine gifts to

European monarchs. Many royal gifts became part of national museum collections. Southworth writes, "It seems a sad fate that so many Hawaiian artifacts are being preserved away from the islands. Perhaps, however, this was fortunate for had they remained here they would have continued in regular use until they broke or were wom out. After the breaking of the kapu system in 1819 many would have been destroyed. Objects whieh are extremely rare may be found today in European museums. Some of them are not represented in the islands. While it would be very niee to have them in Hawai'i, the more importantfactor is that they are preserved."

The author says "It is important that these thinos be available in museums outside of Hawai'i so that the remarkab!e native culture of the Hawaiian people may be seen. studied, and appreciated by people elsewhere." Unfortunately, in some museums the collections are either not on exhibit or curation is minimal or non-existent Preservation of Hawaiian items has been very good on the whole, Southworth says. She is particu!ary interested in hearing from readers who know of Hawaiian co!lections in Europe. Artifacts in European and British museum eollections cover a considerable range, from the one-of-a-kind feather god house in Vienna, to the adzes, 'ulumaika, and other stone objects found by Hawaiian field workers on the plantations. European museums hold feather cloaks and helmets, kahili and feather lei, kapa, lei niho palaoa, and assorted modern objects. While careful documentation exists on some objects — where and from who they eame, what they are made of, and so on — data is completely lacking on other pieces. The book gives information on museums in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Spain, France, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, West Germany, East Germany, Denmark, Sweden, the USSR, Austria, Hungary and Italy. Addresses are given but hours of operation and fees should be checked locally. "Treasures from Hawai'i in the Museums of Europe" may be ordered from Sigrid B. Southworth, e/o 1543 Kaminaka Dr., Honolulu, Hawai'i , 968 16. Cost per copy is $8 plus $1 postage and handling in Hawai'i. For mainland addresses add $2.50 for postage and handling. A more detailed listing and description of these collections would probably be fascinating to read and more useful to ethnographers. Perhaps the task may be tacklerl in future. If nothing else "Treasures of Hawai'i" lets readers and travelers know that Hawaiian treasures exist and may be seen around the world.

This feather image, depicted on the cover of "Treasures from Hawai'i in the Museums of Europe," is in the collection of the Haneoek Museum in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England.

E a "§) e e 3 CQ e lo o £ e .o o .3