In the past when someone mentioned Niihau shell lei, I wondered why the shells that washed up on Niihau beaches were special. Couldn’t a person find similar shells on other island beaches? Which snail species grew the shells? Are people still making the intricate lei? How can you tell they’re from Niihau?
Last week I got the answers to my questions, and more, in elegant fashion. I visited the Bishop Museum’s exhibit "Niihau Shell Lei: Ocean Origins and Living Traditions."
The shells most prized in Niihau lei come from three minuscule marine mollusks ranging in length from about one-tenth to three-eighths of an inch. Depending on species, the tiny snails live in the sand or on plants, rocks or other animals near the ocean floor. Some species graze on algae, while others eat bits of dead plants and animals and the droppings of living organisms.
The same snail species that make the shells found on Niihau beaches also live in tide pools and shoreward areas of other Hawaiian Islands, as well as in shallow waters throughout the Pacific and Indian oceans.
After the snails die, waves and currents carry some of the empty shells to shore.
In a brochure, the Bishop Museum calls these and other micro-mollusks (shells two-fifths of an inch long or less) barometers of the sea because the creatures are supersensitive to changes in their environment. The snails’ scarcity or abundance gives researchers information about the condition of local waters.
The Pacific Ocean is apparently healthy around Niihau because the shells gathered for lei there are considered more durable, produce vivid colors and have shinier surfaces than those of the same species found on other islands.
Another reason Niihau shells are prized is because they’re from Niihau, an island rich in history, tradition and mystique. Nicknamed the "Forbidden Island," Niihau is about 18 miles long by 3 to 6 miles wide and privately owned.
Due to a lack of jobs, Niihau’s population has been steadily declining (less than 70 in 2009) with many former residents now living and working on Kauai.
Some lei artists continue to create stunning lei from shells found on Niihau beaches. The lei makers, often called stringers, sort the breakable, barely visible shells by species, size and color, and use an awl-like tool to remove grains of sand from the openings. Using the same tool to make holes in the shells, the artists string, knot and tie the shells into their own unique shapes and patterns.
Prices for Niihau shell lei range from $100 to $30,000.
To preserve the integrity of this art form, Hawaii legislators passed a law in 2004 requiring that anything described as a Niihau shell lei must have 80 percent of its shells from Niihau and must be made in Hawaii.
You can learn more about this unique blend of art, culture and marine life at www.niihauheritage.org/index.html.
What’s so special about Niihau shell lei? My visit to the Bishop Museum made it clear.
The shell show runs through Jan. 27.
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Reach Susan Scott at www.susanscott.net.
