Bidding Starts Thursday, Aug. 14 for Bishop Museum’s Annual Online Auction, E Ulu A Paʻa

Honolulu, Hawaiʻi — Bishop Museum, the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History, will once again hold its popular online auction, E Ulu a Paʻa. Bids will start at 9 a.m. HST Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 and run until 9 p.m. HST Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. Shoppers can register now and preview the more than 90 one-of-a-kind treasures and exlusive Bishop Museum Experiences available at bishopmuseum.cbo.io.

The 11-day event supports the mission, staff, and work at Bishop Museum.

"Our Bishop Museum ʻOhana expresses our deep appreciation and mahalo for the community's continued support," shared Janet Bullard, Bishop Museum vice president of institutional advancement and marketing communications, and acting director of government relations. "Donations raise vital funds to ensure Bishop Museum can continue to protect, preserve, and perpetuate the rich cultural and natural heritage of our Islands and the Pacific for generations to come."

Select items and experiences up for bid include:

19" Three-Strand Kahelelani Niʻihau Shell Lei

Shell lei have been a part of Hawaiian culture for centuries. There are records of shell lei in Captain Cook's journals from his arrival in Hawaiʻi in 1778. The residents of Niʻihau perfected this craft, likely due to the lack of flowers that would grow in the arid climate, and the island's abundance of seashells that would wash up on its shores. This lei features three strands of vibrantly-colored kahelelani shells.

"808 Playahz" by Kaelyn Okuhata

This 18" x 24" print comes in a 22 " x 28" matted frame. It features local species drawn in the style of traditional Japanese hanafuda playing cards.

Artist Kaelyn Okuhata, Bishop Museum's director of corporate relationships and partnerships, was born and raised in Pukalani, Maui, and now resides on Oʻahu. She loves drawing and painting in primarily acrylic medium. As a Gosei, she utilizes motifs and themes from her upbringing in various community spaces as inspiration.

Bishop Museum Experience: Private Behind-the-Scenes Malacology Tour

Bishop Museum has one of the most comprehensive collection of Pacific Island land snails in the world. The approximately 25,000 islands of the Pacific Ocean harbor more than 6,000 land snail species, most of which are only found on a single island or archipelago.

Molluscs, particularly Pacific island land snails, have the highest recorded extinction rate of any major animal taxonomic group, making the Museum's collection all the more important. The 6 million+ specimen collection includes representatives of many extinct, endangered, and threatened species and more than 300 undescribed species.

Lūheʻe by Maunalani Design Group

A lūhe'e is an octopus lure. The stone helps the lure to sink below the water's surface, and the cowry shell attracts the octopus to the lure. The octopus would either be caught by the lure's hook, or simply scooped up by the fisherman. Octopuses were caught for both food and sport.

This lūhe'e is handmade by Keith Maile of the Maunalani Design Group. He uses a variety of media in his working, including bone, shell, wood, stone, and native fibers, along with other natural materials.

Custom Tenor ʻUkulele with Case by Mike Chock

Tenor ʻukulele are about five inches longer than the more common soprano ʻukulele. Their increased size produces a fuller sound and allows players to hit more notes in each scale. Because of this, many popular artists prefer tenor ʻukulele, including Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, Jake Shimabukuro, Roman de Peralta from Kolohe Kai, and Lina Robins-Tamure from ʻUheʻuhene.

This custom papaya tenor ʻukulele has an 17.75" scale length and features back and sides made from Mauna Loa koa. All of its features are handmade by Michael "Mike" Chock.

Mike Chock is the founder of the Ukulele Guild of Hawaii and co-creator of the "Hana Lima ʻIa ʻUkulele Construction Handbook." He founded the Hana Lima ʻIa school for teaching ʻukulele making in 1994, educating future generations on how to create Hawaiʻi's official state instrument.

"Pele's Grace" Handmade Art Quilt (for hanging)

Measuring approximately 3' wide by 4' tall, "Pele's Grace" is inspired by the lava fields and new growth in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

Elizabeth Schowalter is Bronx born, but has been Hawaiʻi-rooted for almost 30 years. Most of her artistic inspiration comes from her spiritually fulfilling surroundings — the abundance of the ʻāina, the riches of the kai, and the simple beauty of kanaka life. She hopes that her hand-stitched art quilts will carry the aloha she feels for her home into yours,

Bishop Museum Experience: Lava Pour Pizza Party

Enjoy a private evening at Bishop Museum with your own Lava Pour Pizza Party! You and up to 19 guests will meet at the Hot Spot to learn about the formation of the Hawaiian Islands and Hawaiʻi's volcanoes in our signature volcano show, and see real lava poured out of our 2,000-degree furnace! Each guest will receive a keepsake lava glass shard. Gallery time in the Science Adventure Center and a pizza dinner are included.

Pāpale Lauhala by Pamela Lipscomb

Pāpale lauhala were worn by paniolo cowboys prior to the mid-1880s, making it an almost exclusively male fashion piece until the 1900s. Today, pāpale are worn by men and women in casual spaces as well as formal celebrations.

This is a "cup and saucer" style pāpale lauhala. It fits a head size of 23" and has a brim width of 5", and comes with a storage bag made of cotton fabric by Tori Richard.

Kumu Pamela Lipscomb learned to weave lauhala from her kumu, Lily Sugahara, of Hilo. This pāpale is made with lauhala from Kona, Hawaiʻi, and the adornment is made with lauhala and loulu from Oʻahu.

Lei Hulu Kamoe by Kahailimanu

This lei hulu kamoe — a feather lei made in a flat-lay style — is made of natural white goose with a paukū center. The center feathers that make up the paukū are all ring neck pheasant feathers: almond, gold sides, blue almond, and female almond. The lei is 24" long with a black ribbon closure.

A haili is a sudden remembrance or a fond memory of a loved one; it can also be a premonition or a dream. Kahailimanu is lei maker Lehuanani Chock's dream to carry the legacy of Hawaiian featherwork into the future. Inspired by her beloved Grams, whose vision it was that this hana noʻeau continue, Kahailimanu seeks to create lei hulu of the highest quality while sharing knowledge with others along the way.

Bishop Museum Experience: Private Screening of "Wayfinders" with Billy Richards and Kaʻiulani Murphy in the J. Watumull Planetarium

Hokuleʻa Captain Billy Richards and Navigator Kaʻiulani Murphy will guide you and your guests through learning techniques that they and other Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS) wayfinders use to voyage around the Pacific and the world. Imagine yourself aboard a canoe, guided by starlight, in the very planetarium where Nainoa Thompson first trained in the late '70s and many other PVS navigators and crews have prepared for their journeys since. Duration: 45 mins.

For more information, and to register to bid and view the auction items, please visit bishopmuseum.cbo.io.

News media: Images of the above items and Bishop Museum Experiences can be found here.