#ali'i

[urbannesian]

Sunday Funday. Digitization of a classic photo.

#UrbanNesian #tatau #siapo #tapa #pasifika #polynesian #samoan #samoa #samoanprint #samoanart #samoandesign #art #artwork #malu #sogaimiti #polydesign #polyart #apia #tuiga #taupou #manaia #samoanmalu #samoantattoo #pagopago #fue #tootoo #matai #chief

[brooklynmuseum]

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and we’ll be celebrating the occasion by highlighting a few artworks from our permanent collection made by Asian and Pacific artists.

Lei niho palaoa are made of a continuous strand of human hair which is finely braided and threaded through a sperm whale tooth pendant. Historically, lei niho palaoa were worn exclusively by both male and female ali‘i (high chiefs). Trade with whalers and travelers in the 19th century prompted the spread of ornaments like this to far-flung places in Europe and the United States, often with little or no understanding of their original contexts. An unknown collector incorrectly identified this as a “Sorcerer's Necklace from Tahiti”, and this misidentification has become part of its history.

Posted by Meghan Bill Hawaiian. Necklace (Lei Niho Palaoa), early 19th century. Human hair, sperm whale tooth, fiber, pigment, 14 x 7 x 2 1/2 in. (35.6 x 17.8 x 6.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Museum Collection, X839.3. Creative Commons-BY

[vintagenames]

Kailua Ali’i & Iao Kohola

“Dreams come true in blue Hawaii”

[hawaiianhapa]

Ig my great-great-great grandma danced hula for ali'i? Trippy

[wandrtheworld]

Ali'i Kula Lavender Farm in Kula, Maui, HI 2014