Kite

21454

From: United States of America | Hawaiian Islands

Curatorial Section: Oceanian

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Object Number 21454
Current Location Collections Storage
Culture Hawaiian
Provenience United States of America | Hawaiian Islands
Culture Area Oceania | Polynesia
Manufacture Location Philadelphia
Date Made 1898
Section Oceanian
Materials Wood | Plant Fiber | Bamboo
Description

A lupe manu (bird kite) made of one central wooden stick and a curved piece of bamboo. The kite is bound with a cord. The cord is detached in two places.

The kite was made in the Museum by Hawaiian sailors in 1898.

Lupe, also known as heōlelelūpe, refers to Hawaiian kite flying, a recreational activity widely practiced in Hawaiʻi. Particularly popular among children, kite flying fostered coordination, attentiveness to wind and weather conditions, and communal engagement. Traditional lupe were constructed from natural materials such as kapa, pandanus leaves, or paper mulberry fiber, supported by lightweight wooden frames and plant-fiber cordage."

Length 64 cm
Width 45 cm
Credit Line Made in the University Museum by Native Hawaiians, 1898

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