In vibrant shades of yellow and red, this ceremonial featherwork cape (‘ahu ‘ula) commemorates a personal friendship that developed against the backdrop of religious and colonial expansion in the Pacific. In the autumn of 1819, the brig Thaddeus departed from Boston harbor carrying a group of Protestant missionaries bound for Hawai’i, then-referred to as the Sandwich Islands. The first American mission to Hawai’i, its goal was to convert the local population to Christianity. Among the group were physician Thomas Holman and his new bride, Lucia Ruggles Holman. Lucia kept detailed diaries of the months-long voyage and her arrival at Kailua-Kona. Although she was often critical of local customs, she made friends among the female members of the royal court. A rift developed between the Holmans and the other missionaries, and they were expelled from the island in 1821. As a parting gift, Queen Kaʻahumanu presented Lucia with a suite of feathered regalia including this cape (‘ahu ‘ula). Usually reserved for people of high status, this gift demonstrates the Queen’s regard for Lucia. Despite being fairly small, the cape still required thousands of feathers sourced from local birds, some of which were hunted to extinction for their brilliant plumage. The red feathers are from the Hawaiian honeycreeper, and the black and yellow feathers are from the now-extinct Hawaiʻi ʻōʻō (Mamo). Featherwork was an important craft tradition that bridged gender lines; women sorted the feathers while men formed them into cloaks. Featherwork also had a spiritual dimension, which adds a layer of nuance to its role as a gift from Queen Kaʻahumanu to a friend and departing missionary.