The Historic Ku Family Reunion--Bishop Museum

200-year-old Gods come home for summer vacation.
http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20100604_Gathering_of_the_gods.html

[ Edited by: HelloTiki 2010-06-04 08:54 ]

Well Hel-lo! :) :

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=36519&forum=4&2

I must agree though that this momentous event is worthy of being posted in the main forum, thank you!

No pictures? I suppose there is a book at the museum with images? I want images with details of their heads!!!!

I know! Let's make this the official Ku Convergence thread, my post about it two weeks ago has been shamefully neglected considering the importance of this event!

I have found two of the Ku on display represented in Polynesian pop: The Bishop Ku:

On the United Airlines menu and fountain, and here:

And the Peabody Ku:

.... here in this famous piece of Tiki art:

Now who will find and post a Poly pop example of the British Museum Ku:

And who will go there and photograph those mighty three....

By the way Nick Camarra, I volunteer to be the foreign correspondent who flies over there to do an article for Tiki Magazine about this exhibit! :)

Fun with Kus, I like this thread!

Here are some more Ku-ool Ku postcards from my collection.

Peabody Ku

Bishop Ku

Queens Surf Luau used the Bishop Ku for their menu and brochure art.

The closest Poly Pop item I can think of for the British Ku with the long head-dress is the Omni Hut menu cover.

There is also this menu from the Polynesian Room at the Naniloa on Mimi Payne's web site.

DC

Sorry Sven, that assignment's been filled! ; - )

the Ku is my absolute favorite of all the various tikis. Does anyone know of a nice Ku necklace out there anywhere?

Sigh...

On 2010-05-19 13:26, Zeta wrote:
Very cool. Maybe volcanoes will erupt and the end of the world will happen or something...

On 2010-04-09 09:52, Zeta wrote:
Postcard from the Museum


For trade

The one in Salem Mass.
Postcard still available!

On 2010-06-04 08:54, HelloTiki wrote:
200-year-old Gods come home for summer vacation.
http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20100604_Gathering_of_the_gods.html

[ Edited by: HelloTiki 2010-06-04 08:54 ]

"From different corners of the world, the last three Hawaiian god or "Ku" statues known to exist have been brought together at Bishop Museum"

I'm by no means a Ku expert but aren't they forgetting this one from the British Museum?

In Spain we are very fond of this particular Ku :)

He IS a good one alright, very cartoony. Maybe he didn't fit in because of his short hair cut. Or more likely because he is less than half the height of the other big Kahuna, who all are close to seven feet. Without the pole, this guy only measures three.

I think the concept is that the three LARGEST Hawaiian gods in existence are reunited for the first time.

From the Bora Bora Madrid thread:

On 2010-01-13 23:13, Zeta wrote:

Vintage Postcard

These old guys are still my favorites...

The exhibition closes Oct. 4th, but I will not make it to Oahu until at least 2011!

On 2010-06-07 17:57, bigbrotiki wrote:
He IS a good one alright, very cartoony. Maybe he didn't fit in because of his short hair cut. Or more likely because he is less than half the height of the other big Kahuna, who all are close to seven feet. Without the pole, this guy only measures three.

I think the concept is that the three LARGEST Hawaiian gods in existence are reunited for the first time.

Funny. Because the size of the Bora Bora Ku I always assumed that the original carving was bigger.

You can't believe all you see on a Tiki bar. :)

Friday, June 11th admittance is free to kama'aina.

The exibit in the newly refurbished Hawaiian Hall is marvelous, as well are the accompanying displays throughout. No cameras allowed.

Here's probably the best/only shot you'll get http://www.staradvertiser.com/features/20100807_Kalakoa.html

:o
Mahalo for sharing msteeln!
Breathtaking!

MSteeln,

Thanks for posting the link to the photo. Great to see those imposing Tikis together!

Here is the photo for posterity.

Whats with the loin cloths?

DC

Quite an impressive sight! I'm hoping to make it to the Bishop before October and see this rare assembly myself.

DC - The loin cloths harken back to the ancient days and were how the carved temple images were actually dressed on the day of their dedication in the temple.

(The following text is from "A Cultural History of Three Traditional Hawaiian Sites on the West Coast of Hawai'i Island" by Linda Wedel Greene, September 1993)

The priests awaited a sign that Ku was present at the ceremonies. The signal was the finding of the seaweed to be placed in the waiea. If it was found, a coconut fiber cord was wrapped around the principal image's belly as an umbilical cord. It was then cut and a feast held to honor the "birth" of this image. A confirmation ceremony followed. Just as a young boy was dressed in a bleached loin cloth at puberty, the new image was wrapped in bleached bark cloth and declared mo'i, lord of all the idols. The lesser images were then also wrapped in kapa.

I visited the Bishop yesterday and the newly renovated Hawaiian Hall is beautiful!!
But the 3 Ku on exhibit are truly awe inspiring. Their size and detail is remarkable and you can feel the mana filling the hall.
I highly recommend for everyone to make visiting the Bishop Museum a "must-do" on their trip to Oahu.
Aloha,
:tiki:

[ Edited by: Tiki Royale 2010-08-10 20:19 ]

That photo is indeed the only one I have seen of all three so far!

Here is a nice article about the event from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Monthly.
My friend DeSoto Brown is on the cover:

Fascinating conjecture re William Ellis' observation.

And thanks Sabu for your research about the loincloth!

Some good news! A quick Google search turned up more images of the three carvings of Ku together:

(smaller than previous image, but sharper and less grainy)

Not bad for an exhibit that was expressly not to be photographed.

Oh wow! They sure look like three brothers! Thanks for finding these.

No problem, Sven! I'm just bummed I missed seeing them together with my own eyes. I can imagine them on the Ahu'ena Heiau, having just been there as well. The Bishop Museum Ku has so much mana on it's own, it's overpowering. The three together must have been something...

Aloha everyone,
Just some followup on the 3 Ku... A nice article in Hawaiian Airlines' Hana Hou! magazine and the drawings by David Kalama Jr. Good stuff, enjoy!
Aloha,
:tiki:

Shucks! I thought the exhibition had returned.