The Prince and the Plunder

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

Category: The Plunder

Engraved silver processional cross

Published June 18, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: An engraved silver cross, made in 1831-1839, taken from Magdala, given by Lords of the Admiralty

Where: The Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL

The catalogue entry reads: “In 1868 it was taken by British troops at the siege of Maqdala (Magdala or Mek’dala). The same year, the Lords of the Admiralty placed it on loan at the South Kensington Museum (later renamed the Victoria and Albert Museum).”

Description:
Processional cross. At the top is a representation of God, the Father, framed by four Apostles. The Ascension of Mary is depicted in the centre of the cross. On the right side is Mary and Jesus, accompanied by the Archangels Michael (right) and Gabriel (left). The left side shows the Dormition of Mary (above) and her entombment (below), between which is David playing his harp. At lower left is Saint George slaying the dragon to save the princess Cleodolinda, the latter known in Ethiopia as Brituwit (i.e. from Beirut). The inverted arch supporting the cross normally would have a depiction of Christ but in this case, and very unusually, the Devil is profiled and the singular eye both identifying him and representing evil.

Museum number:
M.25-2005

Posted In Crosses | Sacred artefacts | The Plunder
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Brass processional cross

Published June 18, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: A brass processional cross bought for £3 from Major Holland

Where: The Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL

The catalogue entry reads: “Processional cross. Brass, quatrefoil centre surrounded with openwork circle of crosses, with socket. Abyssinian. Price £3.0.0. Purchased from Major Holland. Date of receipt from stores 26th April 1869…

“The vendor may have been Major Trevenen James Holland who, with a military colleague, Sir Henry Montague Hozier, provided the only official account of the expedition on the orders of the Secretary of State for War. Their Record of the Expedition to Abyssinia was published in two volumes in 1870.”

Museum number:
1732-1869

Posted In Crosses | Sacred artefacts | The Plunder
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A golden chalice

Published June 18, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: A golden chalice, made around 1735-1740

Where: The Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL

The catalogue entry says the chalice “was deposited at the South Kensington Museum (later renamed the Victoria and Albert Museum) by H.M. Treasury in 1872”.

An inscription on the chalice says: “The chalice was taken by British troops at the siege of Maqdala (Magdala) in 1868. This is the chalice of our King Iyyasu, whose throne name is Adyam Saggard, and of our Empress Walatta Giyorgis, Berhan Mogasa, which they gave to the tabot of Qwesqwam [that is, the church in which the tabot was preserved] so that it might be for them salvation of body and soul.”

Museum number:
M.26-2005

Posted In Chalices & vessels | Sacred artefacts | The Plunder
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The Abuna’s robes

Published June 18, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: Vestments, said to be the robe of the Abuna of Ethiopia, made of white and red silk satin with embroidery in gold thread

Where: The Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL

The catalogue entry reads:

“Sleeveless, hooded white satin robe. It is is decorated with an applied piece of crimson satin embroidered in gold and silver thread and pearls. There are embroidered inscriptions in Arabic on the hood, and Coptic on the red satin.”

Object history note: Purchased for £10, from R D Kempe. Said to have been taken at the Battle of Magdala. 

Date: ca. 1748 (made)

Museum number: 1424-1870

Posted In Bishops crowns & regalia | Sacred artefacts | The Plunder
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Cloth marked with symbols

Published June 18, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: Cloth marked with figures in a series of squares, said to be from the emperor’s tent

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

It is unclear whether this means it was part of the tent or taken out of the tent.

The catalogue entry says it was donated in 1886 by the sister-in-law of the anthropologist Edward Burnett Tylor, who described the figures as “magical”

Annual Report 1886 Oxford University Museum of Natural History – ‘Donations to the University Museum The following is a List of the Donations which have been made to the University Museum, Oxford, during the year 1886:- … Anthropology … Cloth inscribed with Magical Figures in Squares, from the Tent of King Theodore of Abyssinia Mrs Tylor 22A Queen Anne’s Gate, London … Edward B. Tylor/ Keeper of the Museum

Related Documents File – Page handwritten in pencil by Edward Burnett Tylor with nine squares/matrices each with numbers written in the boxes within the squares. Next to some of these squares is a column of Tylor’s writing: ‘Arabic Magic Cloth from W. Alfred Tylor. Squares with numbers N will be seen from those given that they do no follow a magic rule, but they are blotted and indistinct and therefore only partly read correctly. Apparently by an inferior practitioner who wrote anything, but some ciphers are almost or quite absurd. EBT Feb 27 1895.’ [MOB 4/9/2001]

Detail
1886.13.1

Posted In Royal regalia | Said to belong to Tewodros | Tents | The Plunder
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Shield with bullet hole *

Published June 18, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: Shield with bullet hole, linked to Magdala but wrong date

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

The accession entry says it belonged to a soldier “killed at the action of ?ARACEE before MAGDALA †, 1860, one of the first 20 recipients of a Snider bullet.”

ARACEE probably refers to Aroge, the decisive battle of the Magdala campaign. The snider bullet probably refers to the snider rifles used for the first time by the British forces on the expedition.

But … The Battle of Aroge took place in 1868 not 1860. This could be a simple mistake in the labeling. However another Pitt Rivers label links the shield to other fighting (see below). So it is possible this shield is from another battle and the Magdala account was added later through confusion or to add interest.

The catalogue entry has three pictures and reads:

“Convex circular hide shield with slightly upturned rim. Decorated with five round silver bosses with raised centres and punched decoration, surrounded by rectangular and flower-shaped silver plaques, all attached with silver-headed rivets.

“There is a bullet hole in the bottom right section of the shield.”

Accession Book Entry – JOHN BUSBY, Esq. … Oxford. – Shield, circular of hide, with (silver) metal strips. The former owner was killed at the action of ?ARACEE before MAGDALA †, 1860, one of the first 20 recipients of a Snider bullet. Brought to England by Lt.-Col. Yorke, who was present at the action.

Display history: PRM display label (1991 – 1995) – AFRICA, ETHIOPIA. Circular hide shield with silver strip decoration. It was used in action in Lij Kassa’s (also known as Theodore II) internal wars in Northern Ethiopia around the capital, Magdala. The original owner of the shield was killed during a battle in 1860. Shields continued to be made in Ethiopia even after the arrival of firearms. The shield was brought to England by Lt. Col. Yorke who was present at the action. Donated by J. Busby. 1940.5.100 [LM 21/03/2007]

Detail
1940.5.100

Posted In Military | Shields | Suspected Magdala plunder | The Plunder
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