Kamehameha Statue
Encyclopedia
Several Kamehameha Statues honor the monarch who founded the Kingdom of Hawaii
.
in Honolulu, Hawaii
. The statue had its origins in 1878 when Walter M. Gibson
, a member of the Hawaiian government at the time, wanted to commemorate the 100 year arrival of Captain Cook to the Hawaiian Islands. The legislature appropriated $10,000 for the project and made Gibson the director of the project, which originally included native Hawaiians but they soon were off the project and Gibson ran the project by himself. Gibson contacted Thomas R. Gould
a Boston sculptor living abroad in Florence
, Italy
to create the statue.
to be cast in bronze
.
During this time David Kalākaua
had become king and was completing [[ʻIolani Palace]] which was his tribute to King Kamehameha I
and to be the destination of the statue. The statue was too late for the 100th anniversary, but in 1883 the statue was placed aboard a ship and headed for Hawaii. Near the Falkland Islands
the ship wrecked and the statue was thought lost. However, the Hawaiians had insured the statue for $12,000 and Gould rushed to complete a second.
, on the island of Hawaiii
. The re-ordered one stands in front of Aliiolani Hale
.
A third replica was commissioned when Hawaii attained statehood and was unveiled in 1969. It stood in the United States Capitol
alongside the Father Damien Statue
and was the heaviest statue in Statuary Hall, weighing 15,000 pounds. In 2008, shortly after Hawaii-born Barack Obama
was nominated as the Democratic Party’s candidate for the presidency, the statue was moved from a dark, back row of Statuary Hall to a prominent position in Emancipation Hall in the Capitol's new visitor center.
The Gould statue can be briefly seen in the opening credits of the original 1970's TV police drama Hawaii Five-O
as well as the 2010 series reboot. The statue is also seen multiple times in a 3-part series of Sanford and Son
when the duo go on a vacation to Hawaii
. The statue is seen on a pedestal
outside the Hawaii Police Department Headquarters.
(known locally as the Big Island). It stands near downtown Hilo at the north end of the Wailoa River State Recreation Area
, where it enjoys a king's view of Hilo Bay
. The 14 feet (4.3 m) statue was sculpted by R. Sandrin at the Fracaro Foundry in Vicenza
, Italy in 1963 but was not erected on this site and dedicated until June 1997.
The statue was originally commissioned for $125,000 by the Princeville
Corporation for their resort in Kauai
. However, the people of Kauai did not want the statue erected there as Kauai was never conquered by King Kamehameha I. Hilo, however, was one of the political center for King Kamehameha I. So the Princeville Corporation donated the statue to the Big Island of Hawaii.
Resort Hotel & Spa on Maui
is the home of a fifth Kamehameha statue. Hawaiian artist, author and historian Herb Kawainui Kane
created the nine-and-a-half-foot work, which presides over the entrance of the hotel, facing the porte cochere. It is purported to be the most lifelike representation of the great warrior king.
holiday, Kamehameha statues are ceremoniously draped in fresh leis fashioned in Hawaii. The event is celebrated in the United States Capitol with traditional hula
performances.
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
.
Gould's work
One stands prominently in front of Aliiolani HaleAliiolani Hale
Aliiōlani Hale is a building located in downtown Honolulu, Hawaii, currently used as the home of the Hawaii State Supreme Court. It is the former seat of government of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the Republic of Hawaii....
in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
. The statue had its origins in 1878 when Walter M. Gibson
Walter M. Gibson
Walter Murray Gibson was an American adventurer and a government minister in the Kingdom of Hawaii prior to the kingdom's 1887 constitution.-Life:...
, a member of the Hawaiian government at the time, wanted to commemorate the 100 year arrival of Captain Cook to the Hawaiian Islands. The legislature appropriated $10,000 for the project and made Gibson the director of the project, which originally included native Hawaiians but they soon were off the project and Gibson ran the project by himself. Gibson contacted Thomas R. Gould
Thomas R. Gould
Thomas Ridgeway Gould was an American sculptor active in Boston and Florence.-Biography:Gould was born in Boston. He was at first a merchant with his brother in the dry-goods business, but studied sculpture under Seth Wells Cheney starting in 1851 and in 1863 exhibited two large heads of Christ...
a Boston sculptor living abroad in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
to create the statue.
Features
Even though photographs of Polynesians had been sent to him so that Gould could make an appropriate likeness, he seemed to ignore them. A Roman nose and more European features were adopted. This is most likely due to that fact that Gould was in Italy studying Roman sculpture. The stance of a Roman general with gesturing hand, spear, and cape are also Roman appropriations. The belt or sash on the statue's waist is a symbolic rendering of the Sacred Sash of Liloa. In 1880, the initial sculpture was sent to Paris, FranceParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to be cast in bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
.
During this time David Kalākaua
Kalakaua
Kalākaua, born David Laamea Kamanakapuu Mahinulani Nalaiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua and sometimes called The Merrie Monarch , was the last reigning king of the Kingdom of Hawaii...
had become king and was completing [[ʻIolani Palace]] which was his tribute to King Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I , also known as Kamehameha the Great, conquered the Hawaiian Islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha preserved Hawaii's independence under his rule...
and to be the destination of the statue. The statue was too late for the 100th anniversary, but in 1883 the statue was placed aboard a ship and headed for Hawaii. Near the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
the ship wrecked and the statue was thought lost. However, the Hawaiians had insured the statue for $12,000 and Gould rushed to complete a second.
Replicas
Before the second statue could be sent the original had been recovered by some Falkland Islanders. They sold it to the Captain of the wrecked ship for $500 and the Captain then sold it to Gibson for $875. Now Hawaii had two statues. The original stands near the legendary king's birthplace in Kapaau in KohalaKohala, Hawaii
thumb|right|300px|The districts of the [[Hawaii |Big Island]]. From Northernmost, clockwise; Kohala , [[Hamakua|Hāmākua]], [[Hilo, Hawaii|Hilo]], [[Puna, Hawaii|Puna]], [[Kau, Hawaii|Kaū]], [[Kona District, Hawaii|Kona]]...
, on the island of Hawaiii
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
. The re-ordered one stands in front of Aliiolani Hale
Aliiolani Hale
Aliiōlani Hale is a building located in downtown Honolulu, Hawaii, currently used as the home of the Hawaii State Supreme Court. It is the former seat of government of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the Republic of Hawaii....
.
A third replica was commissioned when Hawaii attained statehood and was unveiled in 1969. It stood in the United States Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
alongside the Father Damien Statue
Father Damien Statue
The Father Damien Statue, also called the Saint Damien of Molokai Statue, is the centerpiece of the entrance to the Hawaii State Capitol and the Hawaii State Legislature in Honolulu, Hawaii. A second bronze cast is displayed in the National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol...
and was the heaviest statue in Statuary Hall, weighing 15,000 pounds. In 2008, shortly after Hawaii-born Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
was nominated as the Democratic Party’s candidate for the presidency, the statue was moved from a dark, back row of Statuary Hall to a prominent position in Emancipation Hall in the Capitol's new visitor center.
The Gould statue can be briefly seen in the opening credits of the original 1970's TV police drama Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...
as well as the 2010 series reboot. The statue is also seen multiple times in a 3-part series of Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son is an American sitcom, based on the BBC's Steptoe and Son, that ran on the NBC television network from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977....
when the duo go on a vacation to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. The statue is seen on a pedestal
Pedestal
Pedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
outside the Hawaii Police Department Headquarters.
Big Island
Another Kamahameha statue resides on Hawaii IslandHawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
(known locally as the Big Island). It stands near downtown Hilo at the north end of the Wailoa River State Recreation Area
Wailoa River State Recreation Area
The Wailoa River State Recreation Area is a park in Hilo, on Hawaii Island in the US state of Hawaii.-Description:The name wai loa literally means ""long water" in the Hawaiian language.It is located at , between downtown Hilo, Hawaii and Hilo Bay....
, where it enjoys a king's view of Hilo Bay
Hilo Bay
Hilo Bay is a large bay located on the eastern coast of the island of Hawaii.-Description:The modern town of Hilo, Hawaii overlooks Hilo Bay, located at ....
. The 14 feet (4.3 m) statue was sculpted by R. Sandrin at the Fracaro Foundry in Vicenza
Vicenza
Vicenza , a city in north-eastern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione...
, Italy in 1963 but was not erected on this site and dedicated until June 1997.
The statue was originally commissioned for $125,000 by the Princeville
Princeville, Hawaii
Princeville is a census-designated place on the north shore of the island of Kauai in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 1,698 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Princeville is located at ....
Corporation for their resort in Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
. However, the people of Kauai did not want the statue erected there as Kauai was never conquered by King Kamehameha I. Hilo, however, was one of the political center for King Kamehameha I. So the Princeville Corporation donated the statue to the Big Island of Hawaii.
Kane work
The Grand WaileaWailea-Makena, Hawaii
Wailea-Makena is a census-designated place in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 5,671 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Wailea-Makena is located at ....
Resort Hotel & Spa on Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
is the home of a fifth Kamehameha statue. Hawaiian artist, author and historian Herb Kawainui Kane
Herb Kawainui Kane
Herbert "Herb" Kawainui Kāne , considered one of the principal figures in the renaissance of Hawaiian culture in the 1970s, was a celebrated artist-historian and author with a special interest in the seafaring traditions of the ancestral peoples of Hawaii...
created the nine-and-a-half-foot work, which presides over the entrance of the hotel, facing the porte cochere. It is purported to be the most lifelike representation of the great warrior king.
Kamehameha Day
Every year on the June 11 Kamehameha DayKamehameha Day
Kamehameha Day on June 11 is a public holiday of the state of Hawaii in the United States. It honors Kamehameha the Great, the monarch who first established the unified Kingdom of Hawaii — comprising the Hawaiian Islands of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lānai, Kahoolawe, Maui and...
holiday, Kamehameha statues are ceremoniously draped in fresh leis fashioned in Hawaii. The event is celebrated in the United States Capitol with traditional hula
Hula
Hula is a dance form accompanied by chant or song . It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians who originally settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli or mele in a visual dance form....
performances.