20041220
the hawaiian monarchy
hawaii was a kingdom before u.s. annexation. they traded with china, debated with missionaries, battled with captain james cook who brought the first europeans, and played host to chinese, japanese, filipino and korean immigrants who worked the sugar plantations. to fund the new state of hawaii after annexation, officials auctioned off palace artifacts to whoever could afford them.
the history channel had just concluded a feature on this lost monarchy that succumbed to u.s. control around the turn of the 20th century. by 1898, palace state rooms were divided into smaller offices and the rich hardwood walls painted a cheap green color. iolani palace's china, silverware, crystal, jewels, fabrics, furniture, clocks, clothes and other treasures scattered around the world after a 10-year auction that concluded in 1903. auctioneers kept no records of the proceedings.
a pair of paintings from the 17th century were recovered by john loring, a tiffancy & co. executive while visiting a remote woodworker's house in ireland. loring recognized the paintings after visiting one of the hawaiian palaces a year before. the woodworker said loring must be mistaken; the painting featured a dark man in 17th century european-style soldier uniform; a second painting featured a woman in a white gown. they were sold to him by gypsies, the woodworker said. loring recovered them after paying $1,400 for the woodworker's 18th century bricks for his new house.
iolani palace was built in 1882 and is currently the center for a growing nationalistic movement in hawaii. the hawaiian monarchy collapsed in 1893, shortly after the feudal system was abolished. queen liliuokalani was replaced by a provisional government that answered to the white house in washington d.c.
the movement has a volunteer research corps who go through newspapers and what little government records still existing to recover royal items sold at auction. they are part of the team trying to piece together how queen liliuokalani's polynesian heritage but european lifestyle, the stereotypical hula dances, the tempestuous goddesses, the towering volcanoes and black volcanic earth fit into the identity that is hawaiian. ¶ 12/20/2004 01:28:00 PM
the history channel had just concluded a feature on this lost monarchy that succumbed to u.s. control around the turn of the 20th century. by 1898, palace state rooms were divided into smaller offices and the rich hardwood walls painted a cheap green color. iolani palace's china, silverware, crystal, jewels, fabrics, furniture, clocks, clothes and other treasures scattered around the world after a 10-year auction that concluded in 1903. auctioneers kept no records of the proceedings.
a pair of paintings from the 17th century were recovered by john loring, a tiffancy & co. executive while visiting a remote woodworker's house in ireland. loring recognized the paintings after visiting one of the hawaiian palaces a year before. the woodworker said loring must be mistaken; the painting featured a dark man in 17th century european-style soldier uniform; a second painting featured a woman in a white gown. they were sold to him by gypsies, the woodworker said. loring recovered them after paying $1,400 for the woodworker's 18th century bricks for his new house.
iolani palace was built in 1882 and is currently the center for a growing nationalistic movement in hawaii. the hawaiian monarchy collapsed in 1893, shortly after the feudal system was abolished. queen liliuokalani was replaced by a provisional government that answered to the white house in washington d.c.
the movement has a volunteer research corps who go through newspapers and what little government records still existing to recover royal items sold at auction. they are part of the team trying to piece together how queen liliuokalani's polynesian heritage but european lifestyle, the stereotypical hula dances, the tempestuous goddesses, the towering volcanoes and black volcanic earth fit into the identity that is hawaiian. ¶ 12/20/2004 01:28:00 PM
