Hawaiian basketry, weaving and ‘ie’ie

Join Native Hawaiian cultural educators and practitioners as they reflect on the significance of the ʻieʻie plant, its use in Hawaiian basketry and their own practice as weavers and teachers.
 
The exhibition Hawaiʻi: a kingdom crossing oceans (open until 25 May) showcases exceptional works of Hawaiian basketry woven with the aerial rootlets of the ʻieʻie plant (Freycinetia arborea), as well as contemporary objects that echo these ancestral practices. In this online discussion, Lloyd Kumulāʻau Sing Jr and May Haunani Balino-Sing will explore the materials and skill involved in this endangered art.
ʻIeʻie rootlets were used to make a wide variety of objects in Hawaiʻi, including fish traps, baskets and mahiole (helmets), which were worn by aliʻi (chiefs) in battles and in ceremonies. The exhibition features several mahiole, including some that have been feathered, in addition to contemporary works by Lloyd and May.
 
They will also talk about their research work in museums and their approach to creating the pieces on display in the exhibition. This presentation and discussion is introduced and chaired by exhibition project curator, Frøya Crabtree.
Photo: Mahiole hulu manu (feathered helmet), ‘ie‘ie rootlet, olonā fibre and feathers (ʻiʻiwi, ʻōʻō, mamo), Hawaiʻi, possibly late 1700s. Photo © 2026 The Trustees of the British Museum.