The Ultimate Ukulele Accessory
February 28th, 2007
Princess Ka’iulani’s handmade music cabinet is being auctioned on eBay. She was the niece of Queen LiliÊ»uokalani, Hawaii’s last reigning monarch and the composer of “Aloha Oe,” and, like most of her family, she was a skilled and enthusiastic musician. She played piano, guitar and, of course, ukulele. If you have 6.5 million bucks burning a hole in your pocket–that’s the Buy it Now price– this music cabinet would make a nice addition to your uke collection.-MJS
Entry Filed under: Ukulele
4 Comments Add your own
1. Gary Peare | March 1st, 2007 at 9:07 am
Nice. I can picture all my Jumpin’ Jim books nestled snugly inside already!
2. Hali'a | March 1st, 2007 at 10:38 am
Anyone who is really interested in this subject should contact Bishop Museum or
other Hawai’i historical resources for a true opinion about this
artifact. Despite the claims of the seller,
there is no evidence whatsoever that this antique has anything to
do with Princess Ka’iulani. Even the experts in England say their records show it
to have been made after the turn of the century. The Princess died
in 1899. Lots of things have peacock designs on them, and aren’t connected to Ka Ho’oilina Mo’i Wahine Ka’iulani. If it were the Princess’
own, it should only be spoken of with respect. But there is no proof.
3. Craig | March 3rd, 2007 at 9:30 pm
Heck! At that price…I’ll take TWO!!!
4. John Cook | March 5th, 2007 at 9:52 pm
John Cook here. Ka’iulani’s personal piano console has been entrusted to me, I do not feel I own it.
I know it is a bold statement but the cabinet can not belong to any other person on earth. Leading experts both here in Hawaii and in Great Britain also agree that it has to be Ka’iulani’s. The cabinet was custom made for Princess Ka’iulani prior to her leaving England in 1897. It was not made in the 20th century.
I will gladly sit down and discuss full documentation with any party that is interested in securing her piano console into one of our local institutions. My fear is, like so many other pieces of Hawaiian history, we will lose it forever to a museum in Great Britain. England knows what it is and they want it. Are we going to let them have it? Call your local museum and ask them to act.
The museums in Europe have stepped up to the plate and have reached a conclusion. They are ready to “deal”. So far, a hesitant “more research is needed” has been the only public response by our local authorities. We can only hope our museums are actually researching it. And to be fair, they are bombarded with “monarchy” pieces all the time, we must give them time to come to a conclusion.
Many hours went into finding the cabinet’s origins and I tried my best not to make it hers …. but facts are facts and after 1000s of hours of research it can not belong to any other person on earth …. it has to be Ka’iulani’s.
And even if you have no experience whatsoever, just take a look at it … Honestly, what does your “gut feeling” tell you?
My email address is at the bottom of the page of the cabinet link above. Please, constructive emails only (+or-), John Cook
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