Interesting Museum in Hawaii

[Joe Lawrence Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Joe Lawrence]

A couple of years ago while walking through a Museum in Kauai, we stumbled upon these pieces which were the property of the plantation owners from the late 1800’s. The exhibit was apparently just the way it was back then. The pictures pieces were in amazing condition and were of a design I was not familiar with. I’m guessing the piece started out as a saddle bag.

[Chuck Wagner Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Chuck Wagner]

Joe,

Going by the descriptions and motifs in Hegenbart's book on the Adil Basim collection, entitled "Seltene Webtaschen aus dem Orient /Rare Oriental Woven Bags", we would say that the first is Kurdish, from Karabagh and the second Shahsavan, from the central Moghan steppe. Nice examples.

Cheers
Chuck

[Pop Alexandra Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pop Alexandra]

That’s a fascinating find. Pieces like that often reflect a mix of practical ranching use and the distinctive craftsmanship that developed in Hawaiʻi during the plantation era. If it resembles a saddle bag, it very well could have started as one or evolved from paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) gear adapted for local needs.

The fact that it survived in such good condition from the late 1800s is impressive on its own. Museums in Kauai sometimes have incredible overlooked collections like this that quietly preserve everyday history rather than just famous artifacts.
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Alexandra Sophie Pop