Leafing through some journal at the Hawaiian Historical Society last week, I discoverd the mantel gifted to Twain by the Hawaiian Promotion Committee was crafted by F.N. Otremba. In addition to the fireplace mantel, Otremba also carved a koa armchair for Twain's new home, "Stormfield," in Connecticut.
But that's not all. Otremba is more famous for carving a statue of King Kamehameha I, the first Hawaiian monarch much regaled to this day for uniting the Hawaiian Islands--through force, I might add. A statue of the King fronts the Ali'iolani Hale, the judiciary building that my Fodor's guidebook says once served as the parliament hall during the kingship era. (Hmm, I wonder if it was where Twain sat, bored as dirt, reporting on legislative proceedings, where he came to admire the enlightened president of the assembly--the King's father--His Royal Highness M. Kekuanaoa, and where he came to abhor the traitorious Charles Coffin Harris, an American serving as the King's Minister of Finance.) The statue was dedicated in 1893 as part of King Kalakaua's coronation ceremony.
Conveniently, the statue resides just one block from where I sat in the quiet library of the Hawaiian Historical Society. I ambled over for a look, a few pics.
Upon further research, I have unearthed information that claims this statue--the one before my eyes--is one of three cast in Paris from a model made by American artist Thomas R. Gould, not Otremba. Gould modeled the figure in his studio in Rome in 1879. A year later, it was cast in bronze in Paris and shipped from Germany. During its voyage to the Islands, the ship caught fire and sank, so a second statue was cast from the original mold. This source of mine says King Kalakaua dedicated it in 1883, so we have a discrepancy of dates that will require more research. Standing eight and a half feet tall, the statue depicts Kamehameha in his royal garb, including a helmet and cloak of rare feathers. He holds a spear in his left hand, symbolizing the kingdom’s ability to defend itself from hostile nations. (In the end, it didn't.) His right hand, however, is extended in a welcoming gesture of aloha. (Perhaps too much of this resulted in what turned out to be a defenseless takeover.) The original statue was eventually recovered and regales on the Big Island.
So, what happened to Otremba's statue? Alas, this is how things go. A little research leads to more research. More research unearths more questions--questions that keep me in the library. Before you know it, with all this digging, I'll wind up in China.
