The shield, looted by British troops during the battle of Magdala in 1868, has today returned to Ethiopia after 156 years, welcomed by Ethiopian patriots at the National Museum.
The shield was to be publicly auctioned by the UK-based Anderson and Garland auction house before the negotiation to stop the auction started in February 2024.
Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie, grandson of Emperor Haile Selassie and founder of the Royal Ethiopian Trust (RET), negotiated with the auction house and facilitated the repatriation of the shield.
Alula Pankhurst, a renowned British scholar specializing in Ethiopian history, also collaborated with Prince Ermias for the restitution.
The shield was welcomed at the National Museum of Ethiopia to be displayed next to a similar #Magdala #shield restituted by the National Museum of Kenya. https://t.co/HnEbIoPEGC pic.twitter.com/jc1mJ7OH6W
— alula pankhurst (@alulapan) November 1, 2024
For the last three weeks, the shield has been in Ohio, Toledo Museum of Art, where it was featured in the “Ethiopia at a Crossroads” exhibition.
Step into the House of Yatreda, a multi-sensory experience from our 2024 Digital Artist in Residence, @yatreda: ያጥሬዳ.
— Toledo Museum of Art (@ToledoMuseum) October 12, 2024
This immersive installation, alongside Ethiopia at the Crossroads, features digital art that celebrates Ethiopia's heritage. Visit before it's gone Nov. 10! pic.twitter.com/Tw9cGhDsbG
The battle of Mqdala erupted after the British government refused the emperor of Ethiopia, Tewodros II, a request for military support. In response, he imprisoned several British missionaries.
In 1868, the British responded by sending an expedition to rescue the hostages and killing hundreds of Tewodros’ troops, finally pushing Tewodros to commit suicide to escape surrender.
Following the battle, the British looted various valuable artifacts from Maqdala, including sacred books, a variety of gold, brass crosses, and disputed Tabots (Arcs of covenants) that Ethiopians have claimed for restitution. However, some of them have been returned.
