William Fischer Hawaiian Kou and Koa Center Table

This koa and kou wood center table was made by William Fischer around 1869. A very similar table was ordered at the time by Governer Dominis. Dominis was an American-born statesman who became Prince Consort of the Kingdom of Hawai'i upon his marriage to the last reigning monarch, Queen Lili'uokalani. Using kou wood was an unusual selection for inclusion in the table since "kou was rarely used in furniture, except as contrasting trim with koa, a combination Hawaiian royalty particularly favored." A minute 'red spider' infested the kou trees beginning around 1860 and within a year destroyed every kou tree in the islands. The timber was cut and used for furniture, much of it sent to Germany. The table above was owned by John Strayer McGrew, a physician who arrived in Hawaii in 1866. "He was known for his hospitality and as "the Father of Annexation" because of his strong conviction that Hawaii should be come part of the United States." Research and image courtesy of the Daughters of Hawaii and from their book, Hawaiian Furniture And Hawaii’s Cabinetmakers.