Hali magazine #175 (spring 2013) captures the intricate, vibrant, beautiful , protective, decorative and painstaking effort which aptly describes the art of Hawaiian featherwork. The British explorer Captain James Cook was gifted several featherwork objects during his numerous trips to the Pacific during the 18th century.
Symbolizing power, prestige or sacred afilliation. This skill set was applied making long cloaks and short capes, helmets and god images. The largest cloak required close to half million feathers. Looms weren’t used for manufactering instead beaten tree bark and netted fibers held the attached feathers.