The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-29
A KINGS 100000 CLOAK.
THE MOST COSTLY GARMENT IN
THE UNITED STATES.

EHtiuct- ART OI MhhllB @Heob
ClOAkS Lost-Once Yractised by the
wives and Daughters or the Mobiles.
What is probably the most costly garment
in the United States is stored away in a
corner Of the United States National
Museum at Washington. 1t is not a femi-
MIN gown, nor is itU fashion Of any civil
lied country. 1t ia a product Of savage
art, being a Hawaiian ceremonial cloak
made Of the feathers of birds peculiar to
the islands.
The label beneath it states that 1t was a
present from King Kamehameha III. to
Commodore j. H. Aulick, u. s. N, and that
1t was the mantle of the formers father,
Tamehameha. 1t is further stated that
the yellow feathers Of which the cloak
is largely composed were valued at $50
for five.
Not only are these feathers very small
but the bird to which they belonged was
very difficult to catch. 1t is estimated
that, including the price of the feathers.
not less than a million dollars worth OF
labor was expended on this cloak.
The feather work Of the Hawaiians 10
now a lost ert This is to be lamented, for
The feather cloaks of the Hawaiians are
both curious and interesting.
The cloaks-"mamos" IN the native
language-which were worn only by the
kings and highest chiefs, are Of great beauty.
All the earlier travellers to the Hawaiian
group mention them. Capt. Cook, who,
in 177S, was the first to visit the islands,
was received by the natives with all the
ceremony and alteration which they
thought due to him as a god, and their
chiefs presented him with several feather
covered cloaks and helmets, which they
regarded as their finest treasures.
In Bartolozzi's well known engraving,
the Death of Captain Cook" published in
1882. four of the natives are represented
wearing cloaks. and very little else, and
two wear helmets-all drawn, doubtless,
from the samples brought home by Cooks
expedition and similar to the specimen in
the National Museum. So highly were the
cloaks valued in Hawaii that very seldom
was one allowed to leave the islands as q
result Of purchase.
Though once fairly abundant In Hawaii,
specimens, Of this feather work are now
very scarce and more highly priced than
ever; the art of making 1t been lost with the
extinction of but the bird whose feathers were
most highly priced in the manufacture.
The making OF cloak and other feather
covered articles Of dress or ornament dates
doubtless from a very early period in the
history of the islands. 1t is said to have
formed in bygone days the principal
occupation of the wives and daughters OF
the Hawaiian mobiles.
The ancient kings had n regular staff OF
skilled feather hunters, who were very
expert in their vocation. In capturing the
birds a net or snare was sometimes used,
but more often a kind of bird lime, made
from the sticky juice of the bread fruit
tree, or from the gum of the fragrant olapa,
which was smeared on the higher branches
of the trees frequented by the birds or on
long poles set up for the purpose.
Often a living specimen of a brilliant
scarlet bird known as the iiwi was fastened
in the vicinity to act as a lure. IL Is said
that the hunters sometimes even trans
planted strange trees to the heart OF the
forest in order to excite the birds curiosity.
These old bird catchers must have been
important men among the Hawaiians, for
feathers were considered to exceed in value
any other kind of personal property, and
the Kings taxes were often paid in them.
The groundwork of all the feather work
Is a coarse netting made OF string manu-
featured from the fibre Of the olona, a
native grass. The outer side is alons
covered with feathers, the shafts Of WHICH
are dextrously and closely interviewer
into, or sewn on, the fabric OF the net, go
that the feathers, which overlap one an
other, present a surface as smooth and
glossy as the back of a living bird.
or the birds which provided the feathers
from which this work was made the mamo-
bird was first in importance. About the
size OF a startling, its plumage was in the
main black, and only the few brilliant orange
feathers surrounding the tail were used.
It's determination has doubtless been
brought about by the numbers taken
for the sake of these few feathers. Not
more than five or six skins OF this bird are
now known to exist. =
The other royal bird producing yellow
feathers is the oo-bird, which is still common
in thickly wooded districts, though IL
builds among the tree tops at such a height
from the ground that its nest and eggs
are still unknown to science, 1t Is also
in the main black, the yellow being re-
etricted to certain small tufts beneath the
wings.
King K~amehameha I. is said 20 have
ordered that after these yellow tufts had
been plucked the birds were to be set free.
The light yellow feathers are infinitely more
abundant in the feather work than the
more beautiful golden feathers OF the
mamo.
The red feathers, which form a promi-
nent feature in nearly all Hawaiian feather
work; are taken from the iiwi, perhaps
the oommonest and most conspicuous bird
OF Hawaii. It's name occurs frequently in
national songs relating ancient deeds Of
heroism. The adult male wears a gorgeous
livery Of brilliant vermilion. The young
bird sports a dress of very sober, quakerlike
tints, which probably accounts for its abun-
dance In spite Of the immense numbers
formerly killed.
Though often spoken Of as royal cloaks,
only those made from the brilliant orange
hued feathers of the now extinct mamo
bird can properly be so described, The
right to wear cloaks made from the feathers
Of this royal bird was the exclusive pre-
rogative Of the King.
To all others yellow was, in the native
language, tabu. A yellow cloak was a
veritable cloth of gold, and when worn