What: A deacon’s cross taken by an unnamed British officer

Where: Pitt Rivers Museum, South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3PP

The catalogue entry has no picture and simply describes it as a cross.

The Accession Book entry reads: “G. Department of Antiquities, Leicester Museums (Per B.J. Whitwell [sic] Esq). – Ethiopia, Magdala. Portable brass cross, flat and undecorated with handle of round section. Old label says “Deacon’s Cross, Abyssinia. Taken by British Officer at the Siege of Magdala 1868. Presented by the Very Rev. J. Cavalli”. Length 32 cm.”

Related Documents File – Note in RDF, dated 26/8/70, “6 specimens ethnographical material from the Ratcliffe College Collection given by Leicester Museum (Mr B.J. Whitwell, Dept of Antiquities)’; this item appears as ‘Abysinnia Decon’s [illegible] Abysinnia [sic]’ and on a separate list ‘Portable brass cross from Ethipoia, Magdala’ [MJD 09/09/2014]