Frontlet and crown (amhalait)

This crown, worn as a headdress, was presented to the Duchess of Cornwall and York by Chief Nelson of the Tsimshian at Vancouver during the 1901 royal tour. At almost every stop on the five-week tour, First Nations groups made presentations and petitions to the royal couple. This remarkable gift was a demonstration of profound respect, having been in chiefly possession for ‘hundreds of generations’. Topped with a ring of sea lion whiskers, and inlaid with mother-of-pearl, it incorporates a long train of ermine skin. ‘We can’, said Chief Nelson when making the presentation, ‘only give the daughter of our King the best we have’.