GOING DIGITAL

DISCOVER 100

This painted curtain by Ditidaht artist Tsa-qwa-supp, Art Thompson, features a Thunderbird witnessing the transformation of two humans into Wolves.

OBJECTS OF INTEREST

Explore BC’s Rich and Diverse History One Object at a Time

By Aidan Moher

Web Specialist

The Royal BC Museum is more than 134 years old, but the history we’re privileged to hold is much older. Since 1886 we’ve added millions of objects to our collections, each one part of the story of British Columbia and its people.

“But that’s a lot of stuff,” you say. ”Where do I begin?” 100 Objects of Interest is here to help.

100 Objects of Interest is an online exhibition featuring objects handpicked from our collections and archives by our curators, archivists and staff. These objects highlight stories about British Columbia’s history and contextualize our province’s living landscapes and cultures as we seek to understand our past and present—and look forward into the future.

Dr. Martha Black, a retired curator of Indigenous collections, chose a beautiful painted curtain by Ditidaht artist Tsa-qwa-supp for the online exhibition, noting that “like all of Tsa-qwa-supp’s work, the design unites formline conventions of the northern Northwest Coast with Nuu-chahnulth content.” This design shows two humans turning into Wolves, with a Thunderbird witnessing the transformation. “The ability of creatures to transform from one state to another is a fundamental aspect of the Nuu-chah-nulth world view,” said Black. “Killer whales become wolves when they leave the water, for example, and Thunderbirds have human forms but don their bird cloaks to catch whales.”

Among its many wonders, the collection includes a “jumbo” Humboldt squid, native to the waters of South and Central America, but collected off the west coast of Vancouver Island in 2004; the Cowichan petition, which is “believed to be the first formal document to make the legal argument for Aboriginal rights and title with a clear statement written in legal formality and thesis”; and the Turnagain Nugget, a chunk of gold the size of a chocolate bar. That’s not all! Other items include John Lennon’s gorgeous Rolls-Royce, an 85-million-year-old fossilized pearl, a pre-Confederation map of what would later be called British Columbia, and Emily Carr’s painting Kispiox Village.

These are a few of the many fascinating stories found on 100 Objects of Interest. Ready for more? View the Ditidaht painted curtain and the other objects of interest at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/100.