An extremely rare and previously lost portrait of Liliha (1802-1839), a member of the Hawaiian Royal family in the early 19th century. She and her husband Boki were principal members of the entourage that accompanied King Kamehameha II and Queen Kamamalu on an 1824 diplomatic tour of Britain. While on their London visit the group posed for the artist John Hayter (1800-1895), painter to the British royal court. However, after the King and Queen’s sudden deaths from measles, the paintings mysteriously disappeared. Lost for some 160 years, the original oil portraits of the King and Queen were found in 1986 in Ireland, and this portrait of Liliha emerged in the United States in late 2023.
Oil on canvas, circa 1824;16.25” x 14.25”
