Feather Cape

Object Details

From card: "Center length 6-3/4"; width at neck 12 1/2"; overall frontal width 24 1/2". Background of black o-o feathers; narrow red border at neck; small spots of red and yellow feathers over body of cape. Black cloth neck ties (torn). Base netting of olona fiber. Note: In Princess Kawananakoa's Will this is referred to as "The Apikaila cape." A photograph and description of this cape appear in Additional Notes on Hawaiian Feather Work by Wm. T. Brigham. Bishop Museum Memoirs. Vol. VII. No. 1. Fig. 49 and p. 54: "APIKAILA CAPE This cape is very small but when used in funereal rites has a way of appering far more prominent that its size warrants .... The name is the Hawaiian form of Abigail". A further statement appears in papers accompanying Clarice B. Taylor's letter of March 17, 1947: "This ... cape ... of authentic ancient manufacture ... The cape was owned by a chiefess named Apikaila ... a descendant of the family of Kauai chiefs and a relative of Kekaulike Kinoki, mother of Prince David Kawanakoa. Apikaila's son, Samuel Maikai, was a kahili bearer at the court of King Kalakau[a]. He wore the cape at the 1883 coronation ceremonies of Kalakaua".; Ahu'ula, feathered cape, olona fiber (Touchardia latifolia), feathers from 'i'iwi (Vestiaria coccinea) and 'o'o (Moho nobilis).
Record Last Modified: 21 Apr 2025
Specimen Count: 1

NMNH - Anthropology Dept.

GUID (Link to Original Record): http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/30b024ddf-4209-4313-81c9-4837594c2c28