The Prince and the Plunder

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

Category: Military

Napier’s leopard skin cape, ‘taken at Magdala’

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

What: An “Abyssinian warrior’s leopard skin cape” that was presented to Robert Napier, the commander of the British force.

Where: The Royal Engineers Museum, Prince Arthur Rd, Gillingham ME7 1UR

The catalogue entry publishes five pictures of what it describes as an “Abyssinian warrior’s leopard skin cape comprising of a central section which is highly decorated with gold cylindrical elements and stylised floral metal elements around the collar”. It says there is a silver badge attached that reads: “Taken at Magdala April 13th 1868. Presented to Lord Napier at Magdala by Her Majesty’s Government.”

Details
Object number: 1203.2.4
Dimensions: 920 mm, 400 mm

Posted In Armour & apparel | Military | The Plunder
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Bridle, saddle & stirrups *

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

What: Abyssinian bridle with bit, and saddle with stirrups

Where|:

Where: The Royal Engineers Museum, Prince Arthur Rd, Gillingham ME7 1UR

The catalogue entry reads: “Abyssinian bridle with bit, and saddle with stirrups, mementos of Lord Napier’s campaign there. The saddle is made of wood, covered in skin. The seat has a triangular post at the front, topped with a hemi-spherical hand support. The back is formed with a reclining back plate and the kin has been decorated with a repeated circular pattern. There are oven strips of leather, both in the back plates and the pommel. On either side are leather straps and buckles which fit around the horse’s body. The hole is made of contrasting light and dark leather.”

Details
Object number: 1203.1.5
Length: 440 mm
Width: 380 mm
Height: 390 mm

Posted In Horse tack | Military | The Plunder
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Munzinger’s sword *

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

What: A shotel sword thought to belong to Werner Münzinger, British Consul during the time of the Abyssinian campaign

Where: The Royal Collection, Britain

The database entry has a picture and reads: “Sword (shotel) with a long, sickle-shaped, two-edged, steel blade with a prominent centre ridge and a wooden I-shaped hilt overlaid in silver, jewelled with carbuncles, with the inscription ‘Munzingee [Münzinger?] to Dillan. Abyssinia, 1868’. Plain leather scabbard covered with red velvet.”

Munzinger is likely to be Werner Münzinger (1832-1875), an explorer of East Africa and British Consul during the time of the Abyssinian campaign of 1868.

Provenance

“Recorded in the 1910 catalogue of Arms and Armour at Sandringham House with the note ‘Obtained during the British Expedition of 1867-6 (C. Purdon Clarke, Arms and Armour at Sandringham : The Indian Collection Presented by the Princes, Chiefs and Nobles of India to His Majesty King Edward VII, When Prince of Wales, on the Occasion of His Visit to India in 1875-1876; Also Some Asiatic, African and European Weapons and War-relics, no. 570)”

Posted In Military | The Plunder | Weapons
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