Before Captain James Cook was killed on the Big Island more than 200 years ago, he amassed a collection of artifacts from his voyages to the Pacific islands. Many of those items go on public display for the first time on Thursday.
The exhibit is called "Life in the Pacific of the 1700s," and it goes on display at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Many of the items were commonly used by the native tribes of New Zealand, Tonga, Tahiti, and Hawaii. Wooden head rests served as pillows. Tattoo instruments that look very painful. There are mats and pieces of clothing like grass skirts, fragile items that have stayed in pristine condition for over 230 years.
"As if they were made yesterday. That's the amazing thing, you don't see things like this very often," says Steve Little.
Museum director Steve Little says the items were either given to Captain Cook or he traded for them. They've stayed in great shape because they haven't been handled much, just stored at a university in Germany. There are some ornate pieces, like a mourning dress worn by a kahu, or priest, when a royal family member dies. There's a sacred image of the Hawaiian war god Ku, with feathers still a vibrant orange and yellow.
"It's extremely rare to see Hawaiian feather work preserved like this. It's an amazing powerful image," says Little.
Little says the exhibit is not meant to glorify Captain Cook, but to give a snapshot of life in the Pacific islands in the 1700s. Speaking of snapshots, there were no cameras so Captain Cook brought along an artist in each voyage to paint the scenery, which fascinated the western world.
The museum would like as many people to see the artifacts as possible, so the exhibit is free and on display through May 14.
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