1) Lāʻau Hawaiʻi: Traditional Hawaiian Uses of Plants (R)
Abbott, Isabella Aiona. Lāʻau Hawaiʻi: Traditional Hawaiian Uses of Plants. Honolulu: Bishop Museum Press, 1992. 163 p. ill., bib.
Written by one of Hawaii's foremost ethno-botanists, this book provides detailed explanations of plant sources and their uses as materials and tools for Hawaiian arts and crafts.
2) JSTOR (D)
JSTOR electronic database subscription (free with University of Hawaii login)
This database subscription includes multiple references and illustrations of Hawaiian art including ancient feather capes and cloaks. Content of Artstor was migrated to JSTOR and is found through the image search.
3) Bishop Museum Ethnology Database (D)
The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum has the most significant collection of Hawaiian artifacts in the world, in quantity, quality and depth. This database is an incredible resource; it contains photographs and catalog level details. Custom searches are available, but the built in filters facilitate research on a variety of materials or associated famous personages.
4) The British Museum Collection Database (D)
The British Museum is known for its comprehensive collection including some of the most famous Hawaiian artifacts such as the “Ku” image which was loaned to Bishop Museum in 2010.
5) Voices of Wisdom Hawaiian Elders Speak
Harden, M. J. Voices of Wisdom Hawaiian Elders Speak. 1st ed. Honolulu: Booklines Hawaii Ltd, 1999. 240 p. ill.
The book is broken down by interviews with twenty-four Hawaiian cultural practitioners. Three of the interviews fall under the arts and crafts section and feature Puanana Van Dorpe (kapa), Marie McDonald (lei), and Elizabeth Lee (lauhala).
6) Pacific Art: Persistence, Change, and Meaning (R)
Herle, Anita. Pacific Art: Persistence, Change, and Meaning. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2002. 455 p. ill., bib.
This is a compilation of papers presented at the Pacific Arts Association’s symposium in 1999. It includes papers on Hawaiian arts and the development of the Hawaiian Studies building at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
7) Arts and Crafts of Hawaii (R)
Hiroa, Te Rangi (Peter H. Buck). Arts and Crafts of Hawaii (the complete collection). Honolulu: Bishop Museum Press, 2003. 666 p. ill., bib.
This remains the most comprehensive study of Hawaiian arts and crafts. The author was director of Bishop Museum from 1936-1951. Originally issued by topic or material as Special Publications of Bishop Museum, this edition is a compilation of the author’s topics in the series.
8) Honolulu Museum of Art Collection Database (D)
Hawaiian artifacts such as umeke, kapa, ahu'ula can be located by searching the Arts of Hawaii and Textile sections of the database. The Honolulu Museum has a little known collection of Hawaiian artifacts, which are obtaining greater exposure through the John Dominis Holt and Patches Damon Holt Gallery.
9) Feathered Gods and Fishhooks: An Introduction to Hawaiian Archaeology and Prehistory (R)
Kirch, Patrick Vinton. Feathered Gods and Fishhooks: An Introduction to Hawaiian Archaeology and Prehistory. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1985. 360 p. ill., bib.
Though this is an older publication, this book remains an invaluable source for researchers on the topic.
10) National Museum of Australia - Cook-Forester Collection (D)
This database hosted by the National Museum of Australia features over 200 artifacts collected on Captain Cook’s 18th century voyages in the Pacific. The collections belong to a University museum in Germany and were featured in an exhibition organized by the Honolulu Academy of Arts.
11) Pacific Arts Journal (S)
Pacific Arts is the journal of the Pacific Arts Association. Biannual.
This is the most recognized scholarly journal devoted to art of the Pacific. It sometimes includes articles related to traditional Hawaiian arts.
12) Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Collection Database (D)
Search the Anthropology Collection database using "Hawaii" for a range of results from adze, bracelet, fishhook, and tapa to woven mat.
13) The Contemporary Pacific (S)
Wesley-Smith, Terence. "The Contemporary Pacific." Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
Available through Project MUSE electronic journal database; back issues available free through ScholarSpace digital repository
This scholarly journal occasionally contains articles related to traditional Hawaiian arts and crafts. It is a good resource for studying the revitalization of traditional art forms in the Pacific.
