Final thought…you may’ve heard the phrase, “your timing is uncanny” referring to an event or action that is difficult to explain. I often use it but then find myself saying, “Why ask why?”
Award-winning singer, songwriter and Master Artisan Kuana Torres Kahele gifted PBS Hawai’i with beautiful Ni’ihau shell lei to offer for auction, to help raise funds for our mission. These unique pieces of jewelry, made from rare shells hand-picked from Ni’ihau, have been a treasured item in Hawai’i for more than a century. In 1887, formal portraits of Queen Kapi‘olani and Queen Emma, wearing a multi-strand lei of Ni’ihau shells, were taken in New York on their way to attend Queen Victoria’s Jubilee. It was reported the lei “created quite a sensation” in London, and soon after, the shell lei was adapted to Victorian jewelry styles that are still used today.
In this week’s
WHAT SCHOOL YOU WENT? audio podcast, we talk about the rich history of the Hawaiian bracelet, which originally was a gift to then Princess Lydia Kamaka‘eha (Lili’uokalani) from Queen Victoria. The bracelet symbolized the enduring relationship between the two nations.
Today, hand-crafted Hawaiian heirloom jewelry and the treasured Ni’ihau shell lei are a special part of Hawai’i history and tradition – and next week, both take center stage on PBS Hawai’i.
Uncanny timing? Why ask why?
