AP Art History 250: 215. 'Ahu 'ula (feather cape)

Ahu 'ula (feather cape)
Hawaiian. Late 18th century C.E. Feathers and fiber

Cloaks and helmets were beautiful in colour and design, intricately crafted, and of unusual materials. To add to their appeal, stories could be told of their effectiveness as armour in battle helmets strong enough to ward off blows to the head, cloaks that acted like flak jackets against sling stones and other weapons.

Form:

Made with feathers and olona fiber (netting made in straight rows)
Feathers were attached to the netting in overlapping rows
Exterior = red feathers from the ‘i’iwi bird, black and yellow feathers from the ‘o’o bird
Dimensions: 64 x 15 1/2 in. (162.6 x 39.4 cm)
Location: Hawaii
500,000 feathers - some birds had only seven usable feathers
Coconut fiber used as a base

Function:

Male nobility wore feather cloaks and capes for ceremonies and battle (they were called ‘ahu’ula aka red garments)
Only high-ranking chiefs or warriors of great ability were entitled to wear these exceptional garments
Neckline - curved shape to best fit the wearer
The cloaks and capes were given as gifts to sea captains and their crews
created by artist who chanted the wearer's ancestors to imbue their power on it
Protected the wearer from harm

Content:

A feather cloak - yellow and red

Red = associated with gods and chiefs across Polynesia
Yellow = valuable because of their scarcity in the Hawaiian Islands

Semi-circular cape is a later development from the trapezoidal shape
Feather cloaks and capes were symbols of power and social standing in Hawaiian culture
18th century

Context:

Earliest European visitors to Hawaii

It is unknown who brought this cape to England as many of the items given as gifts were passed onto wealthy patrons to get them to finance their voyage

This cape was apparently retained by Captain Cook’s widow and inherited by the descendants of her cousin, Rear Admiral Isaac Smith

Captain Cook arrived in Keylakekua Bay, Hawaii, on 26 January 1779 which was at the same time as the Makahiki seasonal festival. Kalaniopuu (the chief) greeted Cook in a ceremonial way and gave him his own cloak

Cross Cultural Connections:

Regalia

the emblems or insignia of royalty, especially the crown, scepter, and other ornaments used at a coronation
the distinctive clothing worn and ornaments carried at formal occasions as an indication of status