Photographer: Calvin J. Hamilton Copyright: © 2006 Calvin J. Hamilton Date: 2006/11/10 Location: Honolulu, Hawaii

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Caption

The plaque on the King Kamehameha I monument reads:

Thomas Ridgeway Gould
King Kamehameah I
Bronze, 1883

King Kamehameha I (c. 1758-1819) is generally recognized as the most important figure in Hawaiian history. He was a wise ruler who enacted laws to protect the defenseless and to bring order to a newly united kingdom. An astute statesman, he encouraged foreign trade and the use of foreign technology, while avoiding foreign rule. His greatest achievement, through warfare and diplomacy, was the unification of the Hawaiian Islands.

As befits a man of enormous historic and symbolic importance, this statue depicts King Kamehameha I wearing the regalia of an ali'i nui (paramount chief or king) which includes the mahiole (feathered helmet), the 'ahu'ula (a long feathered cloak signifying chiefly rank), and the ka 'ei kapu o Liloa (the sacred sash of Liloa; a feathered sash, worn around the waist and over the shoulder, a symbol of supreme authority). He carries the ihe laumeki (barbed spear) in his left hand to symbolize his life as a brave warrior. He extends his right hand in a welcoming gesture of aloha to denote his life as a wise and just statesman and unifier of a people and a kingdom.