Context: it has been 45 years since Captain Cook came to Hawai’i. After his arrival and the arrival of other westerners, Hawaiians quickly adopted their ways. I theorize, especially with descriptions of certain confrontations, that Hawaiians understood that inorder to be treated the same, they needed to portray themselves in the same. by 1805, a Museum had already aquired a hat from Hawai’i, decorated completely with feathers and with an ‘ie’ie vine base….but this hat was in the style of a western hat, not a mahi’ole helmet. in 1816, when Louis Choir asked King Kamehameha if he could do his portrait, he asked to do pose in his native clothing, I assume preferably his famous Golden Mamo cloak..instead he wore a red vest with a Yellow tie. Kamehameha knew if he was to be portrayed to the rest of the world, he must be portrayed in a way which they will find fitting….it was both a personal, and political move. Many ali’i at this time are being portrayed in both native and western clothing. Kamehameha died in 1819, and his son, Liholiho, Kamehameha II wanted to meet with George IV, who had recently become King of England. he arrived in England in 1824 with 10 others, excluding the captain of the Eagle which they sailed on, his name was Valentine starbuck (yes, as in your favorite coffee place). in Illustrations of the party in london, they all are portrayed with Western clothing. before they could meet with the King, Liholiho, and shortly after his wife and sister, Kamamalu, died due to disease, which they had no immunity to. George the IV was sent an ahu’ula, a royal cloak as a symbol of friendship, a friendship that lasted even after Hawai’is annexation in 1898 (proven by the prince of wales, later Edward VIII sitting with the wife of the late, David Kawananakoa, who was heir to the Hawaiian kingdom. this photo was taken in 1920)
The British museum will be doing an exhibit in honor of Liholiho, highlighting his travels and showcasing his gifts to George IV: [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn5q3xd65x3o](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn5q3xd65x3o)
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Context: it has been 45 years since Captain Cook came to Hawai’i. After his arrival and the arrival of other westerners, Hawaiians quickly adopted their ways. I theorize, especially with descriptions of certain confrontations, that Hawaiians understood that inorder to be treated the same, they needed to portray themselves in the same. by 1805, a Museum had already aquired a hat from Hawai’i, decorated completely with feathers and with an ‘ie’ie vine base….but this hat was in the style of a western hat, not a mahi’ole helmet. in 1816, when Louis Choir asked King Kamehameha if he could do his portrait, he asked to do pose in his native clothing, I assume preferably his famous Golden Mamo cloak..instead he wore a red vest with a Yellow tie. Kamehameha knew if he was to be portrayed to the rest of the world, he must be portrayed in a way which they will find fitting….it was both a personal, and political move. Many ali’i at this time are being portrayed in both native and western clothing. Kamehameha died in 1819, and his son, Liholiho, Kamehameha II wanted to meet with George IV, who had recently become King of England. he arrived in England in 1824 with 10 others, excluding the captain of the Eagle which they sailed on, his name was Valentine starbuck (yes, as in your favorite coffee place). in Illustrations of the party in london, they all are portrayed with Western clothing. before they could meet with the King, Liholiho, and shortly after his wife and sister, Kamamalu, died due to disease, which they had no immunity to. George the IV was sent an ahu’ula, a royal cloak as a symbol of friendship, a friendship that lasted even after Hawai’is annexation in 1898 (proven by the prince of wales, later Edward VIII sitting with the wife of the late, David Kawananakoa, who was heir to the Hawaiian kingdom. this photo was taken in 1920)
The British museum will be doing an exhibit in honor of Liholiho, highlighting his travels and showcasing his gifts to George IV: [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn5q3xd65x3o](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn5q3xd65x3o)