Ethnology

Image: Up-close detail of braids of a lei niho palaoa.

Ethnology

Holdings

The Ethnology Collection focuses its priorities onto the physical care and documentation of cultural objects with historical and/or cultural ties to the Pacific region, used in all levels of daily life, from the ceremonial to the day-to-day. The ongoing documentation process of compiling recorded histories, cultural stories associated with objects, and the identification of materials and techniques used in their manufacture, all assist in better contextualizing each object. These cultural materials can be categorized into three major groupings from:

• Hawaiʻi
• Oceania
• Hawaiʻi’s immigrant communities

Database

Explore Bishop Museum’s Ethnology Collection through our online database. You will have access to information and images to over 77,000 cultural objects in the Collection from Hawaiʻi, Oceania, and the greater Pacific region. Records and information are routinely updated, but if you require information currently not available online, feel free to contact us at ethnology@bishopmuseum.org.

Collections Access & Research

In our commitment to sharing these invaluable resources with scholars, practitioners, artists, and the public, we invite those interested in accessing our collection to submit an Ethnology Collections Access Request. Please ensure to submit this form at least one month prior to your preferred visit date, allowing our staff adequate time to prepare for your request. We aim to review and respond within five business days of submission. For any inquiries, feel free to reach out to us at ethnology@bishopmuseum.org or contact us by phone at (808) 848-8279 or (808) 847-8264.

Contact

Ethnology Department
808.847.8279 or 808.847.8264
ethnology@bishopmuseum.org

a close up of a bunch of birds flying in the air.

ʻAHU ʻULA (FEATHER CLOAK) – Hawaiʻi

Cloak of native bird feathers worn by aliʻi (chiefs) as a symbol of rank and status.
Photo Credit: Jacob Shearer

a close up of a piece of wood with a diamond pattern.

IʻE KUKU (BARKCLOTH BEATER) – Hawaiʻi

Wooden kapa (barkcloth) beater incised with an intricate design to create watermarks.
Photo Credit: Kelli Soileau

a close up of a wooden object with spikes on it.

SPEAR – Kiribati

Fierce wooden spear lined with shark's teeth and lashed with coconut sennit.
Photo Credit: Monica Texeira

a piece of wood that has some writing on it.

ROŊOROŊO TABLET – Rapa Nui

Wooden tablet inscribed with roŋoroŋo, an undeciphered script created by the people of Rapa Nui.
Photo Credit: David Franzen

a group of small shells on a white surface.

LEI KĀHULI (LAND SNAIL SHELL GARLAND) – Hawaiʻi

Unique lei of kāhuli (endemic Hawaiian land snail) shells attributed to Queen Liliʻuokalani.
Photo Credit: David Franzen

a close up of a rope on a white surface.

PEʻAHI (FAN) – Hawaiʻi

Detail of the handle intricately woven with coconut sennit, human hair, and wool.
Photo Credit: David Franzen

Established in 1889 as the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum of Polynesian Ethnology and Natural History, the Museum actively engaged in the preservation and stewardship of significant cultural treasures from its inception. Today, the Museum’s collection of cultural treasures serves as a unique resource to better understand the history of Hawai‘i and the Pacific, to address the opportunities and the challenges that arise for the communities we serve, and to continue to inspire practitioners, artists, scholars, and the many guests that come through our doors every day.

At the core of the collections under the care of the Ethnology Department, the founding collection consists of personal possessions belonging to Ke Ali‘i Bernice Pauahi Bishop, Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani, and Queen Emma, which bear witness to the important lives of these three chiefly women, to the changes happening during their lifetimes, and to their commitment to support and nurture their lāhui.

Expanding from this foundation, the Ethnology Department currently cares for more than 77,500 cultural objects from Hawai‘i and the greater Pacific, or brought to Oceania[s3] [AC4] through trade, migrations, and diplomatic relationships. This vast collection includes significant heirlooms from local and chiefly families, objects acquired through Museum expeditions in the Pacific, and items purchased from or exchanged with collectors and curators from across the world. Notable collections include those of Queen Liliʻuokalani, Princess Kaʻiulani, Joseph S. Emerson, Te Rangihiroa (Sir Peter Buck), Lucy Peabody, Edgar Henriques, Eric Craig, and the Kapiʻolani-Kalanianaʻole chiefly line.

Caring for one of the most significant collections of its kind, the Ethnology staff is actively engaged in the preservation of these cultural treasures, and works closely with community representatives and partners to continue to improve collection care. Through the development of exhibitions, cross-departmental research, collections-driven public programs, publications, and unprecedented documentation and digitization efforts, the Ethnology department also seeks to increase physical and digital access to the collections and explore multiple ways of knowing and seeing. Through these processes, we honor the multitude of relationships and stories embodied by these cultural treasures, and celebrate the many pathways ahead as we continue to engage with and inspire and be inspired by our community and our guests.

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Ethnology

Ethnology

ʻAHU ʻULA (FEATHER CLOAK) – Hawaiʻi

IʻE KUKU (BARKCLOTH BEATER) – Hawaiʻi

SPEAR – Kiribati

ROŊOROŊO TABLET – Rapa Nui

LEI KĀHULI (LAND SNAIL SHELL GARLAND) – Hawaiʻi

PEʻAHI (FAN) – Hawaiʻi

State Museum of Natural and Cultural History of Hawaiʻi