Feather Lei as an Art

Featherwork is the most distinctive and spectacular art of the ancient Hawaiians. They fabricated brilliant long and short cloaks and capes, feathered helmets, kahili, lei and ornaments for the hair. Most of these objects and the processes of creating them were sacred and secretive. With the influx of westerners to the islands, the art of feather- work all but disappeared. Today's feather lei makers represent a continuous tradition carried on from the feather workers of ancient Hawai'i. They are creative artists, not only imitating the ancient patterns and designs, but creating new ones. Feather Lei as an Art is written by a mother and daughter team who have been teaching feather-working at the Bishop Museum since 1972. Mary Louise and her daughter Paulette have been declared true masters in the art of feather working by the Hawaiian community and continue to perpetuate Hawaiian traditions in their daily lives.