Wednesday, July 21

Ethiopia regains piece of heritage from a Scottish dining room

Ethiopia regains piece of heritage from a Scottish dining room - The Herald

It once hung in the mountain fortress of an Ethiopian emperor, but somehow found its way to the wall of a dining room in Glasgow.

The handing back of the shield to Africa's oldest independent country is a boost for a group campaigning for the return of treasures looted when soldiers stormed the fortress of Emperor Tewodros II at Maqdala in 1868 to avenge the jailing of British citizens.

The shield was among loot, including gold crowns and more than 1000 sacred manuscripts, plundered from the fortress where Emperor Tewodros killed himself rather than fall into British hands.
Dr. Richard Pankhurst of The Institute of Ethiopian Studies wrote the this account of the Battle at Maqdala and its aftermath. AFROMET - The Association for the Return of The Maqdala Ethiopian Treasures - "is an international organisation dedicated to retrieving priceless treasures looted during the British invasion of the country in 1867-8."

# posted by ethiopundit : 7/21/2004


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