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Westminster Abbey to repatriate Ethiopian tablet stolen in 19th century battle
London’s Westminster Abbey has agreed upon the repatriation of an Ethiopian tablet after it was looted in battle in the 19th century.
The initiation of the repatriation process of the Ethiopian antiquity, known as a tabot began after Westminster Abbey announced that the tablet sealed inside an altar in London should be sent back to its native nation, The Art Newspaper reported.
According to The Art Newspaper, the government of the East African nation called for the restitution of the sacred artefact in July 2018.
“The Dean of Westminster has decided in principle that it would be appropriate to return the Ethiopian tabot to the Ethiopian Church. We are currently considering the best way to achieve this, and we are in ongoing discussions with representatives of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. This is a complex matter, and it may take some time,” a spokesperson of Westminster Abbey told The Art Newspaper.
The Ethiopian tablet was stolen during the Maqdala battle in 1868 when British troops attacked the forces of the Ethiopian emperor Tewodros. British Army Captain George Arbuthnot acquired it and donated it to Westminster Abbey.
The tabot, which is sacred to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is used to symbolise both the Ten Commandments and the Ark of the Covenant. The British Museum currently has 11 tabots in its possession, The Art Newspaper reports.
Westminster Abbey’s decision to return the antiquity to its native nation is another step in the repatriation of stolen artefacts from Africa. In early February, a U.S. museum returned a batch of royal regalia to Ghana that was looted by British colonial soldiers 150 years ago.
