Overview

[Copublished with the British Museum Press for the United States and Canada] Published to accompany a major exhibition in 2026, Hawai‘i: A Kingdom Crossing Oceans is itself a significant resource, shining light on the extraordinary collection of Native Hawaiian works at the British Museum, brought together for the first time in print. Featured alongside key works from national and international collections, the gathering centers narratives developed collaboratively with Hawaiian knowledge-bearers. At its core is the story of the continued relationship between Hawaiʻi and Great Britain: it marks over 200 years since the ill-fated visit of King Liholiho and Queen Kamāmalu and their delegation to London to seek protection and alliance from the British Crown and subsequent events. The dazzling artistry of Native Hawaiian makers and artists is revealed through co-curated stories and a range of ancestral and contemporary works, including striking featherwork such as large ‘ahu ‘ula (cloaks); kiʻi (figures) carved in wood and bringing powerful presences and complex histories to light; and exquisite pahu (drums), the sounds of which accompany dances honoring the gods and chiefs. Contrasting portraits, made at the time of the visit to Britain by the delegation from Hawaiʻi in 1824, evidence the reception they received, while other more recent artworks highlight collections as continued resources and points of connection for Hawaiian communities. The book brings together rich contributions by ​twenty-seven authors based in Hawaiʻi, London​, and beyond. It also features the first comprehensive ​illustrated inventory of over 900 Hawaiian works in the British Museum collection. Building on years of collaboration with Hawaiian artists, practitioners​, and scholars, this ​v​olume ​showcases Indigenous knowledge, ​n​ewly illuminating exceptional objects and extraordinary stories.

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Author Information

Alice Christophe is Lead Curator of the exhibition Hawai‘i: a kingdom crossing oceans, and Curator and Interim Head of Oceania at the British Museum.

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