An Ethiopian shield that was looted by British soldiers in 1868 has been withdrawn from sale in Newcastle upon Tyne after a restitution request was filed last week by Ethiopian authorities. The hide and metalwork shield, which bears the inscription ‘Magdala 13th April 1868’, was due to be sold on 29 February through the auction house Anderson & Garland. The AIC acquired the work in question, Russian War Prisoner, in 1966. Arts Council England (ACE) has released a revised set of Relationship Framework guidelines in which it affirms its commitment to ‘freedom of artistic expression’. The clause also specified that ‘reputational risk can be generated not just by the organisation and its decisions, but also by staff and other individuals associated with the organisation acting in a personal capacity’.
