Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 11, Number 12, 1 December 1994 — Palace to display Queen's handiwork [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Palace to display Queen's handiwork

by JefT Clark Being prepared up in the attic at 'Iolani Palaee, for puhlie display under heavy security, is a pieee of history: a beautiful multicolored quilt sewn by Queen Lili'uokalani while imprisoned in the palaee. The Queen began the "crazy" quilt in 1895, during the seven months she was imprisoned following the failed counter-revolution. Using brightly-colored pieces of ball gowns, hatbands, and other gay fabric, she created a dazzling pieee of work that became a testament to her life. The quilt is not merely a part of the tragic story of the Hawaiian Monarchy's downfall; the quilt itself contains that story. In the quilt's center panel, Lili'uokalani stitched in the historic events of her life: the dates on whieh she was born, named heir apparent, crowned, dethroned, taken prisoner, and forced to abdicate. "This is what makes it a one-of-a-kind item in our large collection of ali'i items," said Friends of 'Iolani Palaee curator H.J. Bartels. "She embroidered the story in it. It tells its own story."

The downfallen monarch died before the quilt was finished; it was completed by close friends, some of whom stitched in their initials, their names, and the names of family members. Some kama'āina who view the quilt may recognize 'ohana represented in the embroidery. The quilt will be the focal point of the Imprisonment Room exhibit, whieh the public may enjoy as part of regular palaee tours starting Jan. 18. The exhibit will recreate the furnishings of the time in the actual chamber in whieh Lili'uokaiani was imprisoned. Protected in a glass case, the quilt will be seen by the public for the first time. It was donated anonymously to the Friends of 'Iolani Palaee by a kama'āina family. The quilt has obviously been cared for with aloha: Bartells says it is in very good condition. The only reason the artifact is in need of help is that some of the fabric dyes proved to be corrosive to the fabric itself. Deirdre Windsor-Bailey, a conservator from the Museum of American Textile History in Massachusetts, has spent se\ eral weeks working on the quilt. The quilt is being conserved, not restored. Because cosmetic work would actually damage the delicate fibers, Windsor-Bailey is stabilizing damaged areas with an overlay of specially made sheer woven fabric that is so fine as to be almost invisible. The quilt represents the time in the saga of the Hawaiian monarchy at whieh "everything is ... over with," Bartells said. "She abdicated her throne during this period, the palaee is now a government building, even the name ' 'Iolani Palaee' has been declared illegal. ... This was even worse than the Overthrow." But the queen's work on the quilt and the quilt itself became a testament to the will to persevere under the worst circumstances, to stand fast. 'Onipa'a.

Top, textile conservator Deirdre Windsor-Bailey works on preserving the quilt begun by Queen Liliuokalani during the deposed monarch's imprisonment. Above, a section of the quilt commemorating important events in the queen's life. It reads, "Lydia Kamakaeha Lili'uokalani, Born Sept. 2nd 1838, Proclaimed Heir Apparent, Apr. 10th 1877, Ascended the throne, January 29th 1 89 1 . Photos by Jeff Clark