The King Kamehameha I bronze sculpture in front of Aliiolani Hale (home of the Hawaii Supreme Court) in downtown Honolulu has had conservation work done “to restore the patina and gilding.”

It comes just in time for celebrations this weekend marking the Hawaiian monarch’s birth. King Kamehameha Day is Tuesday, June 11.

SFCA

The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts said in a press release Friday that $12,400 was spent on the work.

It was funded through the Art in Public Places Program of the SFCA, which gets 1% of construction and renovation costs for state buildings in order “to integrate art into the built environment” of Hawaii.

“This bronze statue is one of Oahu’s most photographed landmarks,” says SFCA.

Did you know: Four bronze plaques on the base of the pedestal show Kamehameha greeting Captain James Cook, reviewing a fleet of war canoes, warding off five spears at one time and with a family in a scene representing the “law of the splintered paddle.”

Yep, me neither. Thank you, SFCA!

The 103rd Annual King Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade begins Saturday at 9 a.m.