Marla and I have wanted to visit Doris Duke’s “Shangri La” in Honolulu for years and we finally made it happen on our March trip to Hawaii. Duke’s former home is now the Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design and is part of the Honolulu Museum of Art. The tours are small groups and you must reserve in advance.

In 1925 at the age of 12 Doris Duke was left $50 million dollars by her father, tobacco and energy magnate, J.B. Duke. She was called the “world’s richest girl.” She received the first major installment of the inheritance at age 21. At 22 she marred H.R. Cromwell and went on a 10 month honeymoon to Europe, Egypt, India, Indonesia, China, and Hawaii. India ignited her passion for Islamic and South Asian art which expanded during the rest of her life. The photo above is Doris Duke at the Moti Mosque in Agra during her honeymoon in 1935.

The Hawaii portion of the honeymoon was planned for two to three weeks but was extended to four months. In the spring of 1935 she decided to find land and build a home in Hawaii. Inspired by what she saw at the Taj Mahal and other parts of India she wanted to have a “Mughal” inspired room in a future home. With the help of Sam Kahanamoku, the younger brother of Duke Kahanamoku, she found a five acre site near Honolulu’s Diamond Head for $100,000. Work began in 1936 on the 14,000-square-foot main building and took over four years to complete. She then had a place to display her ever expanding collection of South Asian art.

This is a view of the Upper Lawn and pools as well as the Playhouse and the Jali Pavilion. The diving board has been removed. The swimming pool is 75 feet long. Doris Duke was an avid swimmer until the end of her life. She also loved surfing and sailing.

Our group enters the home and museum.

We are given an introduction by one of the museum staff.

This is the dramatic “Qajar Gallery.” Doris Duke was an early serious collector of art from this period. I love the metallic glazes on the dishes in the display case.

Pair of inscribed silver doors with Arabesque ornaments. 18th – 19th century, Qajar period.

The Private Hallway to the Mughal Gallery.

Doris Duke’s bedroom was in the Mughal suite. The image above is from 1947.

The Mughal Gallery sculptures and hanging textile.

Wood and ivory doors by display niches.

Ancient glass on display, some going back to Roman times.

Jewelry on display.

An exotic bracelet.

Display case with small collectables and her bracelets. A perforated marble screen, or Jalis, filters the light.

A bejeweled ivory elephant.

Doris had her mother’s sunken marble tub transported to Shangri La after her death in 1962.

A wide-angled photo of Marla and mirrored ceiling entrance to the bathroom area.

The Central Courtyard is the heart of Shangri La and my favorite area to linger in.

Fascinating wall detail in the courtyard,

This Iranian wall panel has 17,000 pieces. The finished mosaic features vibrant floral arabesques, interlocking leafy vines and four cartouches containing Koranic inscriptions that honor Allah and praise the god-fearing mortal. At its crown, a cryptic geometric design encodes the repeating message “May it be blessed” in Kufic script. The entire work is framed in serpentine vines.

The stunning Living Room Is one of the few spaces that kept its original design in Doris Dukes’s lifetime.

Listening to this docent talk about the Mihrab Gallery was like taking a college lecture! This 13th century Iranian Mihrab is a prayer niche and is mesmerizingly beautiful! Doris Duke paid more for it than the cost of the land for Shangri La. The Mihrab of glazed tiles is almost 12 feet tall and a true masterpiece. It is one of only six surviving luster Mihrabs made in the Ilkanid period of Iranian rule (1256 – 1353) and one of only two outside of the country.

An adjacent part of the Mihrab Gallery.

The hallway to the Dining Room.

A dramatic Baccarat chandelier with a view of Diamond Head in the distance.

Marla on the Upper Lawn.

We just loved the 70 minute tour and it was time to head toward the entrance and take the bus back to the Honolulu Art Museum.

The cascading Mughal Garden was inspired by gardens in India, Kashmir, and Pakistan.

There are many stories, facts and myths surrounding Doris Duke’s amazing life. I would recommend reading “Silver Swan…In Search of Doris Duke” by Sallie Bingham. Her collection of Islamic art totaled over 4500 pieces. If you have a chance to visit magical Shangri la don’t miss it!

I have a particular interest in another of Doris Duke’s passions,…Southeast Asian art. Her collection of over 2000 pieces was housed in her estate in New Jersey, Duke Farms. After her death in 1993 the trustees of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation approved a plan to donate a large portion of these collections to the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco and the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore.

The 19th Burmese Buddha shrine which was donated to the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, shown above, is remarkably similar to the one Marla and I donated to the Denver Art Museum.

Photos: Dick Gentry (Not to be used without permission), Doris Duke foundation photos, Asian art Museum of San Francisco.