Royal garments made with brightly colored feathers were the adorment of choice for Pre-Western contact Hawaiian Royalty.
Many colored bird feathers were used in the capes worn by the Royalty.
In a small way this contributed to to the decline of some bird species in Hawaii.
The feather lei has gained in popularity in recent years.
I agree..I love to learn more about the imagery. It is most appreciated when the artist adds comments, and I did NOT know that leis could be made with materials other than flowers.
Coincidentally, I have a bit of a feather fetish in the forms of Venetian Carnevale masks, of which I own several.
This is a very nicely composed shot btw. The dull roundness of the rocks and the hint of color in the background make this very aesthetically pleasing.
KHT
here is a shot of me in one of my (cheaper) masks:http://www.pbase.com/image/43293745