Flat feathered bands, called "huma papa", represent a Hawaiian art form of unusual beauty. This unique style combines undyed feathers in various patterns and has its roots in the traditional featherwork of ancient Hawaii. Crafting these hatbands has many technical aspects. After selecting and matching the feathers, each is attached to the felt base with six to eight stitches. Feathered bands using dyed feathers which are either machine sewn or or attached by glue have little relationship to the superior work executed by artist Hana von Krenner. This band contains the select feathers of about 150 birds and 300 yards of thread. It represents about 200 hours of work.
The image on this page includes a small image of the entire 28 inch-long hatband; a closeup of the artist; a closeup of the back of the band including the artist's mark; a round storage case for the band; and a closeup of the front of the band.