Mace Cabinet

This exquisite walnut wood cabinet houses one of the Senate’s iconic symbols – the Mace. The Mace, a gold-plated brass staff, must be present in the Chamber while the Senate sits; it represents the authority granted by the King to the institution.  

When it’s not in the Chamber, the Mace is held upright behind the glass doors of this cabinet located in the Senate Speaker’s suite. Its ebony-inlaid walnut panels, 1.6-metre glass pane and copper-alloy hardware are all original and point to the case’s unique parliamentary heritage.  

The cabinet was designed by John A. Pearson, chief architect for Parliament Hill’s Centre Block. Pearson’s attention to detail created a cohesive architectural narrative in the building. The cabinet was manufactured in the 1920s by Montréal’s Castle & Son, one of Canada’s most sought-after furniture makers at the time and one of the main suppliers during Centre Block’s reconstruction after the 1916 fire. 

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