.jpg)
TheCrown Collection is the assemblage of more than 7,000 objects,[1] including contemporary and antique art and furnishings, books, rugs, and other objects owned by thesovereign in right of Canada, many of which are used to furnish the country'sofficial residences.[2][3]
The collection is managed by theNational Capital Commission and pieces are acquired either as gifts from philanthropic benefactors to,[3][4] or through purchase by, the Canadiana Foundation,[5] an organisation established in 2005 specifically to manage the furnishings of the official residences and which is under the patronage of thegovernor general of Canada.[4][6][7] The foundation collects, via its Canadiana Fund (established in 1990), donations of both money and pieces that have been approved by the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board as having "outstanding significance or national importance".[8] A curator oversees acquisitions, research, conservation, inventory management, de-accessioning, loans, and all agreements with donors, partners, and stakeholders.[9]
_39.jpg) {{{annotations}}} Jean Paul Lemieux's 1979 workaffectionate memory images, in themonarch's and governor general's residence atla Citadelle, inQuebec City |
Works are generally by Canadian artists and craftsmen and/or are of significance in Canadian history,[10] such as the MacKay-Keefer Legacy Cup, created in 1831 to commemorate the construction of theRideau Canal;[11] aLast Spike Pin, made from the bentlast spike driven bythe Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal into theCanadian Pacific Railway;[12] atall-case clock produced in 1825 byJ. B. Twiss ofMontreal, and aQuebecpinearmoire crafted in theLouis Quinze style between 1750 and 1760.[13] Also in the collection is the piece24 heures de l'Isle-aux-Oyes byJean-Paul Riopelle, as well as theGrant de Longueuil Epergne, a silvercentrepiece made in 1759.[14] The collection does also hold, however, pieces fromEurope and theFar East.[3]
Pieces used in Canada's official residences are selected so as to reflect the country's "diverse artistic and cultural traditions"; all art displayed is by Canadian artists, includingInuit works.[3]Public Services and Procurement Canada oversees the Crown Collection pieces that have been installed in the official residences, keeping inventory and commissioning any necessary restoration.[3]