The Ethiopian government has called the auction of a looted colonial-era shield “inappropriate and immoral” as it attempts to stop its sale this week and prevent it from disappearing into a private collection. The Anderson & Garland auction house, in Newcastle upon Tyne, was contacted by the Ethiopian National Heritage national restitution committee about the 19th-century Abyssinian shield, which it said should be removed from the auction set to take place on Thursday. The Ethiopian government has been appealing for decades for the return of items taken in 1868. after newsletter promotionThe Ethiopian embassy said more than 20 private collectors had returned Maqdala items after restitution requests. The move by the abbey puts pressure on the British Museum, which has 11 tabots in its collection that are not on display and are available to be visited by Ethiopian Orthodox priests.

Source: Ethiopian News February 27, 2024 17:10 UTC