The Prince and the Plunder

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

Category: Military

Shield with lion’s mane possibly made for Emperor Tewodros

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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

Gunpowder holder

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What: Gunpowder holder without its lid, one of a collection of three

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

The catalogue entry reads: “Cylindrical wooden powder holder, for measuring gunpowder. The mouth is narrower than the body and the lid is missing. The wood has a similar structure and appearance of bamboo.”

Accession Book Entry – G. F. LAWRENCE, 7 West Hill, Wandsworth- Jan. – [1 of] 3 wooden cases for measured charges of gunpowder, Magdala, Abyssinia – obtained by E. A. Henty.

Other information: This is definitely E.A. Henty in the accession book, nevertheless the field collector could in fact be George Alfred Henty, the children’s book author, who was in Ethiopia at the right time, see biographies [AP 24/9/2002]

Detail
1902.69.1

Gunpowder holder

Published / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: Gunpowder holder, one of a collection of three

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

The catalogue entry reads: “Cylindrical wooden powder holder, for measuring gunpowder. The lid is decorated with notched patterns.”

Accession Book Entry – G. F. LAWRENCE, 7 West Hill, Wandsworth- Jan. – [1 of] 3 wooden cases for measured charges of gunpowder, Magdala, Abyssinia – obtained by E. A. Henty.

Written on object – Powder holder, MAGDALA, ABYSSINIA. E. A. Henty coll. Purch. 1902. [SM 31/10/2007]

Other information: This is definitely E.A. Henty in the accession book, nevertheless the field collector could in fact be George Alfred Henty, the children’s book author, who was in Ethiopia at the right time, see biographies [AP 24/9/2002]

Detail
1902.69.2

Gunpowder holder

Published / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: Gunpowder holder, one of a collection of three

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

The catalogue entry describes a “cylindrical wooden powder holder, for measuring gunpowder. The lid is decorated with notched patterns.” 

The Accession Book entry reads: “G. F. LAWRENCE, 7 West Hill, Wandsworth- Jan. – [1 of] 3 wooden cases for measured charges of gunpowder, Magdala, Abyssinia – obtained by E. A. Henty.”

Written on object – Powder holder, MAGDALA, ABYSSINIA. E. A. Henty coll. Purch. 1902. [SM 31/10/2007]

Other information: This is definitely E.A. Henty in the accession book, nevertheless the field collector could in fact be George Alfred Henty, the children’s book author, who was in Ethiopia at the right time, see biographies [AP 24/9/2002]

Detail
902.69.3

A silver-mounted Abyssinian kaskara and a machete

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What: A kaskara sword marked “Magdala 13th April 1868”, etched on one side with the Abyssinian crowned lion and on the other with maker’s initials ‘G.G’, and a machete

Where: Auctioned to unnamed buyer at Christie’s, London on 16 July 2003 for £502.

The Christie’s catalogue entry reads: “The first with straight double-edged European blade (some surface pitting) with two fullers on each face etched with scrolls and strapwork, the ricasso etched on one side with the Abyssinian crowned lion and on the other with maker’s initials ‘G.G’, silver quillons of diamond section swelling at the tips, plain ivory grip inlaid on one side with a silver ‘tau’ cross and with silver collars, and reeded cylindrical silver pommel, in its original tooled red leather scabbard with silver mounts including central band engraved ‘Magdala 13th April 1868’; the second entirely of brass with curved single-edged blade inlaid in silver on one side ‘LEG.XXII.’, and with a silver coin of the Roman Emperor Postumus inset in the brass pommel
29¼in. (74.2cm.) and 21¼in. (54cm.) blades (2)

A pistol, given to Tewodros by Victoria

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What: A pistol, given to Tewodros by Queen Victoria

Where: The Royal Collection, Britain

The catalogue entry, which has a picture, reads: “Percussion Revolver; octagonal blued steel barrel and body engraved with foliate scrolling; walnut grip carved with chequering; blued steel pommel cap engraved with foliate scrolls; oval escutcheon inlaid in silver and engraved with presentation inscription.”

Provenance

Royal Collection catalogue entry – https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/1/collection/61616/percussion-revolver

“Sent to King Tewodros II of Abyssinia (1818-1868) by Queen Victoria, ‘in acknowledgement of the kindness shown by him to her servant Plowden’.”

[Note: Several accounts said Tewodros shot himself with a pistol that had been given to him by Queen Victoria.]