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Ethiopians have campaigned for the return of the items since they were looted after the 1868 capture of [Meqdela]. (Photo: An exhibition crown at the V&A in South West London. Photo: V & A / V & A)
The Guardian
V&A in talks on returning Ethiopian treasures looted in ‘decolonization’ purge: deputy director says museums need to start telling more honest provenance story
London’s Victoria and Albert Museum began talks with the Ethiopian embassy about the return of looted treasures from its collections, including a gold crown and a royal wedding dress, taken from the country more than 150 years ago.
Ethiopians have campaigned for the return of the items since they were looted after the capture of Maqdala in 1868 in what was then Abyssinia. Ethiopia submitted a formal restitution claim in 2007 for hundreds of important Maqdala artifacts held by various British institutions, which was rejected.
Tim Reeve, deputy editor of the V&A, told the Cheltenham Literature Festival that the move was part of the V&A’s job to “decolonize” its collections and have a more honest conversation about history.
“There is no dispute as to whether they were loaned or not; they were looted and that is a story that we have tried to tell very openly and very honestly at the V&A, ”he said.
“Provenance is an important area for museums to invest in investigating where these objects come from and how they came to be in these national collections. Being able to tell a much more complete, holistic, accurate and honest story about those objects. “
Reeve said a long-term loan was being discussed as an initial step to return the treasures, given that the V&A and other national museums were prohibited by UK law from simply returning items in perpetuity.
“We are in very close discussions with the Ethiopian embassy about those artifacts and how they might, in due course, find their way back to Ethiopia,” he said. “A long-term loan of those items as a kind of initial step is the kind of thing we want to discuss if the right conditions exist and if they agree with the Ethiopian embassy.
“The next step is exactly how we are doing it with Maqdala, which is trying to find a way forward, a long-term solution for these objects.”
Read more “
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Related:
Ethiopia’s battle for Meqdela treasures intensifies
One of several processional crosses found among items looted during the British campaign in Ethiopia in 1868. (Photo: Victoria and Albert Museum)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias staff
Apr 22, 2018
New York (TADIAS) – The Ethiopian ambassador to the UK is renewing his country’s call for the unconditional return of cultural and religious treasures that were looted by British troops at the Battle of Meqdelā in 1868.
More than a decade ago, Ethiopia had officially called for the restitution of the country’s looted treasures, which are being held in various places in England. Unfortunately, the request was rejected.
According to the book by Thomas Ofcansky and David Shinn titled Historical Dictionary of Ethiopia, the British Army had employed approximately 15 elephants and 200 mules to transport the seized bounty from the treasure of Emperor Tewodros II and several Ethiopian Orthodox Christian churches.
Speaking about how attitudes about looted treasures have changed, Ambassador Hailemichael Aberra Afework said The art newspaper in a recent podcast interview that “many people in Britain – the general public, the media, higher education, [those] interested in culture – all sympathize with Ethiopia’s demand for the return of these objects ”and also hoped that individuals“ would understand, the government would understand, the institutions would understand and accept this demand that the objects be returned to Ethiopia ” .
This month, the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in the UK helped reignite a public dialogue on the subject of the Mekdela treasures when it made an offer to loan Ethiopia the items on a long-term contract. V&A director Tristram Hunt was quoted as saying: “They would be sent to Ethiopia on long-term loan, so the property would remain in the museum.”
“My answer is a quick no,” replied the Ethiopian ambassador, emphasizing that Ethiopia is the rightful owner of the items. “My government is not interested in loans, it is interested in those objects being returned.”
The V&A gesture was made on the eve of the museum’s current exhibition that opened on April 5 showing its Meqdela collection on the 150th anniversary of the battle.
According to The art newspaper, Among the nearly two dozen objects featured in the V&A exhibit include “a priestly gold crown, a golden chalice (both from 1735-40), various processional crosses and imperial jewels” that were forcibly removed from Ethiopia.
Hailemichael, who attended the opening, indicated that she appreciated the value of the public awareness of the V&A exhibit. “When something is shown that was hidden and locked in the room, that in itself is something that we appreciate,” said the Ethiopian diplomat.
The Battle of Meqdelā took place in April 1868 between the British army led by General Robert Napier, while Emperor Tewodros II led the Ethiopian warriors. The main objective of the British invasion, which has been called “the most expensive hostage rescue operation in history”, was to free a group of European missionaries who were being held by Emperor Tewodros. The Ethiopian king was upset when he did not receive a reply to a letter he had sent to Queen Victoria proposing to establish a diplomatic and military alliance with his European counterpart. In the end, Emperor Tewodros took his own life and avoided being captured alive when the British approached him at his mountain fortress at Meḳdelā.
The British rescue operation is estimated to have cost the British Army about $ 9 million, which turns into billions of dollars today.
Photos: Although Tewodros pointed the gun to avoid being captured alive, British soldiers took away his young son, Prince Alemayehu Tewodros (who died as a teenager while in exile in Britain).
Given that the problem is bigger than a museum, would Ethiopia raise the matter with the UK Foreign Office?
The Ethiopian ambassador did not rule out the possibility. “I hope that the two governments, in the future, start talking about these things,” he said. “Not just from government to government, but institution to institution … so there is quite a bit of understanding among the British public.”
Ambassador Hailemichael also dismissed the myth that Ethiopia does not have the ability to properly store the objects in case they are returned permanently. He mentioned the National Museum in Addis Ababa along with other modern museums such as those in Lalibela, Axum, Gondar and Harar, as well as universities with active programs on cultural heritage management.
“All of Ethiopia is a museum of its cultural heritage,” Hailemichael said at one point during the interview.
“Ethiopian churches have been custodians of such religious objects for centuries,” Hailemichael added. “And so the will is there, the ability is there, the ability is there too, and it shouldn’t be an argument at all for not responding positively to the demand of the Ethiopian people because we can take care of it.”
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Related:
Ethiopians urge Britain to return Prince Alemayehu’s remains after 150 years
150 years after his death, Ethiopia commemorates the life of Tewodros II
The UK Museum wants to loan Ethiopia looted Ethiopian treasures. Why not return it?
A photographic diary tracing the last march of Emperor Tewodros to Meqdela
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