The Tlingit Indians are a prominent Native American group who still live in southeast Alaska. The armor of the 19th-century Tlingit is notable for its expert construction and expressive artistry.

The Tlingit body armor demonstrates a late-19th-century convergence of three cultures: the beautifully crafted armor is covered in Chinese coins the Tlingit received in trade from Boston sea merchants in exchange for sea otter pelts.