Display Case for Hawaiian Cultural Artifacts Koa Wood and Glass Outrigger Hotel, Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaiii

When we ran our shop in downtown Honolulu, we came to know and work for several Japanese contractors, and were able to bid successfully on a number of commercial jobs in Hawaii.

One of them was this koa display case for the Outrigger Hotel in Waikiki. Although a simple case, it holds the private collection of bowls made by the Hawaiian craftsman Dan DeLuz. These bowls are entrusted to the hotel, which provides security while bringing awareness of Native Hawaiian culture to the constant flow of tourists.

I had wanted this case to have a single pane of glass so as not to detract from the art work. We decided on a unique method of loading the cases through the side panels of the upper case, which were of solid wood and securely locked on both ends.