It's been about 30 years that I've been either living or visiting Hawaii and I've never been to the Bishop Museum. It's the island's most famous and grandest of natural history museums, with archives dating back to the 1800's, the largest selection of Polynesian artifacts, and the most comprehensive collection of Hawaiiana. I can't believe my Brownies troop never took me here when I was 10! Finally as an adult, I checked it out one rainy afternoon with my kids and was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the campus alone. First stop, the planetarium for a look at the stars. Next stop, the Polynesian Hall with it's grand arches and glass cases of Polynesian artifacts - clothing, accessories, weapons, and tools - cool stuff I must say. I don't even remember New York's Natural History Museum having this good of a selection from the Pacific Islands. The Kahili Room displayed the large kahili feathered standards used by the Ali'i or royalty of the Islands. Amongst them, of course, was the last crowned princess, Princess Ka'iulani, my daughter's namesake. My favorite inspiration came from the intricate textiles created by the Polynesians, made by beating bark cloth with engraved wooden batons to create an allover embossed pattern on the fabric (see picture above of some of these beautiful patterns.) I wish I could have this archive collection of print repeats for my design library! Talk about innovative textile design! The newest addition, the Science Adventure Center, was a favorite for my son, with it's educational volcano and wave exhibits. Lastly, I highly recommend the gift shop. Lots of great Hawaiiana books, replicas of archive photos, textiles, and my favorite batik-printed and hand-dyed sling bags made in Maui. I'm sure this little side trip to The Bishop Museum will make its way into my designs someday, with enough inspiration for several collections I'm sure.
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