This vibrant piece is one of 30 Hawaiian quilts crafted under the supervision of Meali'i Kalama, commissioned by hotel founder Laurance Rockefeller in the 1960s.
Upon opening the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Rockefeller sought quilts from Kalama, a distinguished local quilt artist, to honor the islands' rich quilting tradition spanning over a century.
Using a pastel blue applique in a single contour stitch, Kalama and her team fashioned this exquisite floral and leaf design, a reverent nod to the flower gardens of Queen Liliukalani, Hawai’i’s last reigning monarch.
Containing over 2 million stitches and the product of more than 1,000 hours of meticulous work, this quilt merges contemporary craftsmanship with historical practices, offering a stunning insight into Hawaiian culture.
This treasured piece has been in the Mauna Kea's collection since 1965, when Laurance Rockefeller developed the hotel, and was very recently reframed.
