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 wooden panel with a carved inscription symbolizing the Ark of the Covenant and the Ten Commandments, has been in possession of the Abbey since it was brought back by British troops after being taken during the Battle of Maqdala in 1868.
According to an article in the Art Newspaper, the tabot is finally on its way back to the country it was taken from 156 years ago. A representative for Westminster Abbey stated that the Dean and Chapter have agreed in principle to return the Ethiopian tabot to the Ethiopian church.
We are currently discussing the most effective approach to accomplish this, and we are continuously communicating with representatives from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo church. This is a complicated issue, and it may require some time to resolve.
Westminster Abbey is directly under the monarch’s jurisdiction, which means that King Charles (the supreme governor of the Church of England) may have to give the tabot’s return his blessing.
The reason for the change in stance from Westminster Abbey has not been officially stated, but there has been increasing pressure on European organizations to return items taken during the colonial period. In response to years of activism, some British institutions have already returned some of the Benin bronzes, which were originally looted by British forces in 1897 from present-day Nigeria.
Westminster Abbey’s decision will create tension for the British Museum, as they currently hold 11 tabots that are not publicly displayed and can only be accessed by Ethiopian Orthodox priests.
According to a representative from the British Museum, their collection showcases the cultural advancements of humanity spanning 2 million years. The inclusion of tabots and other Ethiopian objects in the collection highlights the wide range of religious beliefs in Ethiopia, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and other faiths.
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The museum’s stance on the artifacts is to eventually loan them to a UK-based Ethiopian Orthodox church, where they can be preserved according to their religious customs by the clergy.
However, Ethiopian religious leaders have raised doubts about fulfilling that goal, citing the expensive insurance fees for ancient artifacts as a major barrier to lending the items to British churches.
Gebre Georgis Dimtsu, a clergy member at the Debre Bisrat St Gabriel church in east London, expressed to the Guardian that his church does not have the financial means to accommodate a tabot and he believes it should be permanently returned to Ethiopia. Dimtsu stated, “It is only fitting for them to go back to their rightful place where they have been revered for many years.”
Several tabots, which were discovered in British institutions, have been successfully returned. One of them was found in a church cupboard in Edinburgh 23 years ago and was promptly sent back to Ethiopia.
The return of the artefact, which has been sought after for many years by the country, resulted in a public holiday being announced. Thousands of individuals gathered in Addis Ababa to witness its arrival.
Source: theguardian.com
