Furniture

See the historical furniture that lives within Washington Place

Victorian Marquetry Table [1]

Victorian Marquetry Table

Four hundred ninety-six pieces made of 12 kinds of Hawaiian wood are precisely inlaid into 29 concentric circles.

Centering the tabletop are arrowhead shapes that are formed from parallelograms. The woods include light and dark koa, milo, mango, kauwila, hou and kukui, providing a variety of grains and color. It is believed that John Owen Dominis gave this to his wife Lydia who would later become Queen Liliʻuokalani.[2]

Artist:  Wilhelm Fischer Furniture Maker
Height:  29 in.
Tabletop Diameter: 47 7/8 in.
Tabletop Circumference:  149 5/8 in.
Location:  Dominis Parlor

Queen Liliʻuokalani’s Upholstered Easy Chair

Queen Liliʻuokalani’s Upholstered Easy Chair

Early photographs of Washington Place indicate that this chair belonged to the Queen. She sat in this chair when she received guests at social occasions. The chair was originally covered with a creamy yellow damask fabric and filled with horsehair. It was reupholstered in 1983 and is now a gentle pink. Governor and Mrs. McCarthy, who leased Washington Place after the death of the Queen, began a tradition of placing a lei over the chair in honor of the Queen.[3] This tradition continues today.

Height:  36 ½ in.          Width:  36 ½ in.          Depth:  22 ¼ in.
Time Period:  Eastlake Period (1870-1890)
Location:  Queen’s Parlor

Round Koa Pedestal Dining Table

Round Koa Pedestal Dining Table

This large carefully crafted koa table has a center that is inlaid with six koa pieces in the form of a pinwheel. Twenty pie-shaped inlaid sections radiate out from the center. The table has a sturdy urn-shaped pedestal on a triangle base which supports this heavy table. This piece is 145-years old and resembles one owned by the Queen.[4] The table was restored in 2020 highlighting its intricate woodwork and rich color.

Height:  29 ½ in.          Diameter:  65 ½ in.
Location:  Governor’s Parlor

Queen Liliʻuokalani Koa Settee [5]

Queen Liliʻuokalani Koa Settee

Made for Queen Liliʻuokalani, this bench has seventeen turned and doweled spindles that support the bench’s single board, treble clef-shaped back. There are two scrolled-shaped arm that is secured to the back by two large bolts. In 1920, the Territory of Hawaiʻi purchased this settee for $50. The descendants of cabinet maker Henry Weeks believed that he made this settee.[6]

Materials:  Koa
Cabinet Maker:  Henry Weeks
Height:  42 in.           Length:  80 in.            Width:  29 in.
Location:  Queen’s Parlor

Citations

  • [1] Courtesy of Central Pacific Bank, Historical Treasures of Washington Place 1987 Calendar
  • [2] Des Jarlais, Decorative Arts of Washington Place, 1847-1987, p.29
  • [3] Des Jarlais, Decorative Arts of Washington Place, 1847-1987, p.69
  • [3] Des Jarlais, Decorative Arts of Washington Place, 1847-1987, p.247
  • [4] Des Jarlais, Decorative Arts of Washington Place, 1847-1987, p.247
  • [5] Courtesy of Central Pacific Bank, Historical Treasures of Washington Place 1987 Calendar
  • [6] Des Jarlais, Decorative Arts of Washington Place, 1847-1987, p.47