Thousands of artifacts were taken when Hawaii’s monarchy was overthrown. Now, some have returned home to Iolani Palace
About 150 years ago, Iolani Palace was a place fit for a king. Literally.
The palace was home to the Hawaiian monarchy. It was where kings and queens would hold official functions, receive dignitaries from around the world and lavishly entertain guests, according to its website.
But in 1893, the US government overthrew the monarchy. Thousands of items were auctioned off and sent away from their rightful homes.
This month, a step was made to correct history.
The Helen Ladd Thompson Revocable Living Trust donated 113 objects the family had inherited from ancestors Antone and Emily Rosa. Antone Rosa was a government official who served both King Kalakaua and Queen Liliuokalani — the last two monarchs of Hawaii — in numerous positions in the late 19th century.
Teresa Valencia, director of curation and education at Iolani Palace, told CNN the objects were likely given to the Rosa family as gifts, and said they’re in wonderful condition.
The donation includes numerous royal orders, military accessories, historical documents, photographs and even a helmet plate from the Prince’s Own, a volunteer uniformed artillery unit of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Valencia praised the donation, saying these objects are “coming home.”
“Donations like this one help us better understand this time period of Hawaiian history,” she said. “When objects return home, it really helps us with the stories we share with visitors, how we define this history.”
“Every time (an object) comes home to Iolani Palace, it’s a way of healing some of what happened in the past,” she said, referring to the overthrow of the monarchy.
The palace currently contains more than 5,000 objects. But thousands more are still missing, Valencia said.
Hawaii was a major port, and the items could be all over the world. People have returned items to the palace from as far away as Thailand and England, she said.
Paula Akana, executive director of The Friends of Iolani Palace, said in a statement that it’s always fulfilling to see the return of artifacts.
“We hope this donation will encourage others to help The Friends of Iolani Palace bring more objects home,” she said.
