Explore The Royal Family's close relationship with the region, as well as the diverse artistic traditions represented in the Royal Collection
Copper (tłakwa)
1958Copper | 66.0 x 31.0 x 1.5 cm (whole object) | RCIN 69833
Made from sheets of beaten copper, plaques such as this are among the most significant display of wealth among the Indigenous communities of the Northwest Coast of North America. They are decorated using characteristic formline shapes representing spirits, ancestors and nature.
This copper was a gift from the People of Canada to The Queen in June 1958. It was given with a totem pole that is now in Windsor Great Park. The pole commemorates the centenary of the naming of British Columbia and is 100 foot high – one foot for each year. It was presented by the Kwakwaka'wakw Nation, a federation of many tribes and clans inhabiting the northern part of Vancouver Island and the coastal mainland.
