Fijian wedding dress, ceremonial masks, and missionary furniture among many artifacts
Waikiki, Hawaii – Outrigger Reef on the Beach has unveiled two special museum exhibits featuring Pacific island cultural arts and Hawaiian missionary artifacts in its lobby. Both are free and open to the public and will be on display for a limited time.
“‘Art’ in the Pacific Islands” is a collection of traditional artifacts from Papua New Guinea, the Marshall Islands, Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu. Assembled by Curator Caroline Yacoe of Pacific Pathways from private collections, the artifacts include dramatic masks, a clothing mat, traditional Fijian wedding dress, ceremonial bowls and clubs.
“In many Pacific island countries, ‘art’ is an integral part of daily and ceremonial life,” Yacoe said. “Masks, sculpture, tattoo, pottery and weaving designs all help identify one’s clan and heritage. They help express feelings and emotions that underlie the society. Rituals involving these arts mark stages of life: birth, maturity, death, and make tangible the unseen spirits, ancestors and forces that control the natural world. Art in Pacific island societies is a main expression of the culture.”
The missionary exhibit was assembled by the Mission Houses Museum, a non-profit organization and genealogical society established in 1920 on Oahu. Its new exhibit at the Outrigger Reef encompasses two displays: “Taking Tea” and “Poi Suppers.”
Early New England missionaries arrived in Hawaii in the 1820s to spread their faith and teach Hawaiians how to read and write. They also brought their custom of taking tea. The “Taking Tea” exhibit displays furniture and household items from this era, including a Queen Anne tea table, Empire drop leaf sewing or work table, Windsor chairs, Federal candle stand, lithographs, an Empire style sofa, and Canton tea service set.
The “Poi Suppers” exhibit depicts a traditional missionary room including furniture, a shell collection and artwork, as well as a poi supper table setting, as might have been given by a missionary descendent around 1935. Artifacts include ceramic Lokelani tableware manufactured by Waterhouse for the Hawaiian market in the late 1800s, silverware, platters, serving bowl, poi bowls and glass candlesticks.
The Pacific island art and Hawaiian missionary artifact displays are part of Outrigger Reef’s ongoing commitment to preserving and sharing Hawaii’s cultural heritage with its guests and community.
The oceanfront anchor of the new Waikiki Beach Walk®, Outrigger Reef on the Beach is ideally situated between beautiful Waikiki Beach and exciting Waikiki. Currently undergoing a $110 million makeover, the hotel is being transformed into Oahu’s newest haven of elegance, gracious hospitality and unparalleled commitment to Hawaiian culture. The project is being carefully completed in multiple phases to ensure the continued comfort of guests. On property are a wide array of restaurants, shops and services including a complimentary Hawaiian Vow Renewal Ceremony. The adjacent Waikiki Beach Walk is Oahu’s newest entertainment destination, home to shops, boutiques, art galleries, restaurants and accommodations spanning a nearly 8-acre area in Waikiki.
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About Outrigger Enterprises Group
Outrigger Enterprises Group is one of the largest and fastest growing privately-held leisure lodging and hospitality companies in the Asia Pacific and Oceania regions and continues to expand its presence throughout the area.
A family-owned company with more than 60 years of hospitality experience, Outrigger runs a highly-successful, multi-branded line of hotels, condominiums and vacation resort properties, including Outrigger® Hotels & Resorts, OHANA® Hotels & Resorts, Outrigger Condominium Collection®, Embassy Suites®, Best Western® and Wyndham Vacation Ownership®. Currently, Outrigger operates and/or has under development 47 properties with close to 12,000 rooms located in Hawaii, Australia, Guam, Fiji, Palau, Bali and Phuket, Thailand.
Outrigger Enterprises Group also operates and develops hotel properties and hospitality-related retail and real estate opportunities for partners in Hawaii, the Pacific, the mainland USA and Asia. For on-line information, log on at www.outriggerenterprisesgroup.com and www.outrigger.com.
