The Prince and the Plunder

A book on how Britain took one boy and piles of treasures from Ethiopia

Author: Andrew Heavens

Fragment of Bible ‘found’ near Senafe (Or. 2273)

Published September 27, 2023 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: A fragment of a Bible “found” near the British mssion’s camp of Senafe by a Mr. J.T.C. Prince and presented to Baron van Heemstra van Froma en Eibersburen

Where: Leiden University Libraries

Listed in Inventory of the oriental manuscripts of the Library of the University of Leiden – part 3: manuscripts Or. 2001-Or. 3000

Or. 2273
Ethiopian, ff.
Fragment of the Bible in Ethiopian.
Provenance: Purchased by auction from the collection of Baron van Heemstra van Froma en Eibersburen, who had been presented with the manuscript by Mr. J.T.C. Prince, who had found the manuscript near the camp of Sanafé, during the English expedition to Ethiopia. Another manuscript found by Mr. Prince from Gouda is Or. 1924, above. (Initials of Mr. Prince must still be established??)
(Hebr. 124)

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Arabic manuscript ‘found’ in Maqdala (Or. 1924)

Published September 27, 2023 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: An Arabic manuscript found by a Mr. J.F.E. Prince “in the camp of the emperor Theodorus II in Magdala”

Where: Leiden University Libraries

Listed in the Inventory of the oriental manuscripts of the Library of the University of Leiden – part 2: manuscripts Or. 1001-Or. 2000

Or. 1924
Arabic, paper, 104 ff., dated 1257 AH (1841 AD), copied from the autograph.
The part on al-muhlikat from an ethical work by Ibrahim b. al-Husayn b. `Ali al-Faradi al-Qadiri (718/1318), GAL S II, 147. CCO V, p. 256 (No. 2660) gives a survey of the contents. CCO 2660 (V, pp. 256-257). See Voorhoeve, Handlist, p. 448.

Provenance: Gift received in 1869, or shortly after, from Mr. J.F.E. Prince from Gouda, who had found the manuscript in the camp of the emperor Theodorus II of Abessynia (reigned 1855-1868) in Magdala. Mr. Prince had participated in the British punitive expedition to Magdala in 1868. The fragments of a printed work in Ethiopic (6 ff.), which according to CCO V, p. 225, were kept with this MS have been removed in the meantime. Their present whereabouts are unknown. Another manuscript found by Mr. Prince is Or. 2273, below. (Ar. 1216)

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Shield with lion’s mane possibly made for Emperor Tewodros

Published May 08, 2023 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: A shield and lion’s mane made for Emperor Tewodros, taken by the British Museum’s expert on the expedition, Richard Rivington Holmes

Where: The British Museum, Great Russell St, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 3DG

Provenance: Maqdala mentioned at length in acquisition notes. Shield described as possibly made for Tewodros.

There are images nd more details on the British Museum’s database entry – https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1868-1001-1

The entry reads: 

“It is possible this shield was made for Tewedros II himself. It was described as ‘royal’ at the point of aquisition and as ‘the most richly ornamented of the royal shieds’ in R. Holmes to J. Winter Jones 20th July 1868 (British Museum Central Archive, Original Papers Volume 94, April to July 1868, no. 7629).“

Detail
Museum number: Af1868,1001.1
Date: 19thC (mid)
Made for: Tewodros II, Emperor of Ethiopia
Acquisition name: Field Collection by: Sir Richard Rivington Holmes
Acquisition date: 1868

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Red silk royal robe

Published May 06, 2023 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: A red and gold royal robe taken by the British Museum’s expert on the expedition, Richard Rivington Holmes

Where: The British Museum, Great Russell St, Bloomsbury, London WC1B 3DG

Provenance: Maqdala referenced at length in the museum’s acquisition notes.

See images and more details in the British Museum’s database – https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1868-1001-24

The catalogue entry reads: “Royal robe made of silk brocade. Partially lined with cotton.”

Details
Museum number: Af1868,1001.24
Date: 19thC(mid)
Previous owner/ex-collection: Sir Richard Rivington Holmes
Acquisition date: 1868

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A manuscript of the Miracles of Mary (RCIN 1005082)

Published April 28, 2023 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: An 18th century manuscript of the Miracles of Mary or ‘Nagara Maryam’ with images on almost every page

Where: The Royal Collection, Britain

Click here to see details and images on the Royal Collection website – https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/14/collection/1005082/nagara-maryam-geez

The database entry, which has several black and white images, reads: “Manuscript on vellum, in three columns, written by one scribe in a fair hand, in the Ge’ez language. Illuminated and illustrated copiously, with images on virtually every page. | 18.0 x 34.5 cm (whole object) | RCIN 1005082”.

Note:

One of six ecclesiastical manuscripts from Maqdala, currently part of the Queen of England’s personal collection in the Royal Library in Windsor Castle.

They were part of the original haul of manuscripts given to the British Museum in the aftermath of the campaign. Museum staff selected the six most beautiful volumes and presented them to Queen Victoria.

Prof Richard Pankhurst, AFROMET vice chair, described the six illuminated books as “six of the finest Ethiopian religious manuscripts in existence”. He added: “These were specially selected for Queen Victoria, and are therefore, from the artistic point of view, virtually without equal anywhere in the world.”

Each volume includes a line identifying it as the property of the Church of Madhane Alam at Magdala. Thay are all written in the ancient Ethiopian language of Geez. All but one are described in the Royal Library catalogue as “profusely illustrated”.

Listed in Edward Ullendorff’s paper The Ethiopic Manuscripts in the Royal Library, Windsor Castle.

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A manuscript of the Four Gospels (RCIN 1005084)

Published April 28, 2023 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: An 17-th18th century manuscript of the Four Gospels written in a particularly fine hand

Where: The Royal Collection, Britain

Click here to see details and images on the Royal Collection website – https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/15/collection/1005084/the-four-gospels-geez

The database entry, which has several black and white images, reads: “Manuscript on vellum, in two columns, written by two different scribes in the Ge’ez language. Folios 2-15 are written in a very small, particularly fine hand. Profusely rubricated. | 29.5 x 25.5 cm (whole object) | RCIN 1005084”.

Note:

One of six ecclesiastical manuscripts from Maqdala, currently part of the Queen of England’s personal collection in the Royal Library in Windsor Castle.

They were part of the original haul of manuscripts given to the British Museum in the aftermath of the campaign. Museum staff selected the six most beautiful volumes and presented them to Queen Victoria.

Prof Richard Pankhurst, AFROMET vice chair, described the six illuminated books as “six of the finest Ethiopian religious manuscripts in existence”. He added: “These were specially selected for Queen Victoria, and are therefore, from the artistic point of view, virtually without equal anywhere in the world.”

Each volume includes a line identifying it as the property of the Church of Madhane Alam at Magdala. Thay are all written in the ancient Ethiopian language of Geez. All but one are described in the Royal Library catalogue as “profusely illustrated”.

Listed in Edward Ullendorff’s paper The Ethiopic Manuscripts in the Royal Library, Windsor Castle.

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