Cultural History In Focus | “Ku and the Battlefield of Authenticity: A Hawaiian Feather Image between Empathic and Objectified Authenticity” by Brigitta Hauser-Schäublin

Feathered Image | *Ki’i Hulu Manu*
Believed to represent Kuka’ilimoku
Wicker, feathers, mother-of-pearl, dog teeth, Hawaii,
h. 46.5 cm, w. 16 cm, d. 7.5 cm (neck), Inv. Oz 254
Cook-Forster Collection
© Georg-August University of Göttingen

Ku and the Battlefield of Authenticity

A Hawaiian Feather Image between Empathic and Objectified Authenticity

by Brigitta Hauser-Schäublin

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This article is generously provided by Brigitta Hauser-Schäublin.

Cook’s Pacific Encounters:
Cook-Forster Collection

Explore The Collection

Pounder | *Penu*
Basalt, Tahiti and the Society Islands, h. 17.5 cm, d. 11.5 cm (base), Hanover 1854, No. 39
Cook-Forster Collection
© Georg-August University of Göttingen

Headband | *Uhikana*
Shell, tortoiseshell, feathers, plant fibre, Marquesas Islands, l. 39 cm, w. 4.5 cm (band), Inv. Oz 109
Cook-Forster Collection
© Georg-August University of Göttingen

Flywhisk Handle
Ironwood (Casuarina equistifolia), Tahiti and the Society Islands, l. 33.7 cm, h. 9.8 cm (figure), Inv. Oz 418
Cook-Forster Collection
© Georg-August University of Göttingen

Fragment of a Flywhisk Handle
Ironwood (Casuarina equistifolia), Tahiti and the Society Islands, l. 14.5 cm, w. 3.4 cm (max.), Inv. Oz 419
Cook-Forster Collection
© Georg-August University of Göttingen

Feathered Helmet | *Mahiole*
Wickerwork, feathers, Hawaii, c. 61 cm (crest), d. 15.5 cm, Inv. Oz 2457
Cook-Forster Collection
© Georg-August University of Göttingen

Mourning Dress | *Heva*
Shell, barkcloth, tortoiseshell, feathers, mother-of-pearl, Tahiti and the Society Islands, l. 210 cm, Inv. Oz 1522
Cook-Forster Collection
© Georg-August University of Göttingen

Fragment of a Canoe Ornament
Wood, paua shell, New Zealand, l. 30 cm, h. 7.8 cm, w. 6.5 cm, Inv. Oz 323
Cook-Forster Collection
© Georg-August University of Göttingen

Brigitta Hauser-Schäublin

Brigitta Hauser-Schäublin (1944, Basel) is a researcher and publisher, Emeritus Professor in Ethnology at Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen.

A consultant for UNESCO in Bali, Sumatra and Cambodia, she has taught cultural property rights and cultural heritage management as guest lecturer at Columbia University and Dartmouth College (USA), and at École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (Paris, France).

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