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

The Ethnology department welcomes all researchers, practitioners, and interested parties to access the collections. Due to limited staff availability, we are only able to accommodate a limited number of visitors each month. Those interested in scheduling a visit may submit a request at least 30 days in advance of their preferred visit date using this form: Ethnology Collections Access Request.

Contact

Ethnology Department
808.847.8279 or 808.847.8264
ethnology@bishopmuseum.org

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

IʻE KUKU (BARKCLOTH BEATER) – Hawaiʻi

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

SPEAR – Kiribati

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

ROŊOROŊO TABLET – Rapa Nui

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

LEI KĀHULI (LAND SNAIL SHELL GARLAND) – Hawaiʻi

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

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.

Be a Part of Our Story

Celebrate the extraordinary history, culture, and environment of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific with a gift to Bishop Museum. As a partner in the Museum’s work, you can help to sustain vital collections, research, and knowledge, and inspire exploration and discovery with a tax-deductible donation.

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Ethnology