Westminster Abbey agrees 'in principle' to return sacred tablet to Ethiopia
Source: The Guardian
Westminster Abbey agrees ‘in principle’ to return sacred tablet to Ethiopia
Carved wooden tabot has been at Abbey since British forces looted it at Battle of Maqdala in 1868
Lanre Bakare
@lanre_bakare
Mon 19 Feb 2024 14.32 GMT
Last modified on Mon 19 Feb 2024 19.13 GMT
Westminster Abbey has agreed “in principle” to returning a sacred tablet to the Ethiopian Orthodox church, igniting a debate around restitution claims made by the East African nation.
The tabot – a blackened flat piece of wood featuring a carved inscription that symbolically represents the Ark of the Covenant and the Ten Commandments – has been at the Abbey since British forces returned with it from the Battle of Maqdala, where it was looted in 1868.
As first reported in the Art Newspaper, the tabot could now begin its journey back to the country it was taken from 156 years ago. “The Dean and Chapter has decided in principle that it would be appropriate to return the Ethiopian tabot to the Ethiopian church,” a spokesperson for Westminster Abbey said.
“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.”
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/19/westminster-abbey-agrees-in-principle-to-return-sacred-tablet-to-ethiopia