The Royal Slates

Kauai artist, Monte Hull practices an unusual art form - he engraves tropical scenes, ships, birds and marine life on slate roof tiles from 'Iolani Palace.

The only royal palace in the United States, 'Iolani was built in 1882 for King David Kalakaua. It underwent a major renovation in 1975, which included the removal of the original slate tiles from the palace's roof. Scrimshaw artist, and experimentalist, Richard Hull (Monte's father) discovered that by using a tungsten-carbide tipped scribe, the slates could be engraved in much the same way scrimshaw is carved on ivory. Hull acquired the royal tiles from Honolulu Roofing Company before they were hauled away, and with his son, Monte, established themselves as the only engravers of royal slate in the world.

By special arrangement with Monte Hull, Ship Store Galleries has been designated the exclusive showcase for the public sale of these historically important works of art. Each piece is sold with a certificate of authenticity and a copy of Richard Hull's original bill of sale, establishing the slate's royal heritage.

Since the individual pieces sell quickly, we have categorized the subject matters, used by the artist, to condense them into four basic groups: under the water (sea life); on the water (ships); on the ground (petroglyphs); and over the ground (birds).

For questions and additional information, please contact us in any of the following ways. You are also welcome to look at our previous site detailing The Royal Slates of 'Iolani Palace. That content will shortly be added to this location.