photo of one repeated. Very dynamic colors.
Feather Regalia for the Royal Men The Hawaiian artisans surpassed all other Pacific Islanders in the variety and quality of their feather work. They were fortunate in being able to secure brilliant feathers from forest birds which were found nowhere else. They learned to tie these feathers to close-meshed, durable nets which they made from the strong fibers of the olonā plant, also endemic to Hawaiʻi. These craftsmen are to be commended for their patience in securing great numbers of the tiny feathers, for their ingenuity in creating garments not known elsewhere, and for their diligence in making such large numbers of the feathered articles. Feathers from the small forest birds, although difficult to obtain in places far from the seaside homes of the people, were selected as being the most permanent, brilliantly-colored materials available with which to decorate the royal regalia. Captain Cook admired the beauty and magnificence of the feather cloaks and helmets and wrote, ". . . the surface (of the garments) might be compared to the thickest velvet, which they resemble, both as to the feel, and the glossy appearance." (Cook, 1784, Vol. 2, p. 206) "Feather cloaks, ʻahuʻula, are the most spectacular of all objects of native Hawaiian manufacture and were the visual symbols of prestige and power in pre-European Hawaii." (Kaeppler, 1970, p. 92) This quote was borrowed from this website. Go here to read more: http://www.ulukau.org/elib/cgi-bin/library?e=d-0units-000Sec--11en-50-20-frameset-book--1-010escapewin&a=d&d=D0.10&toc=0