Paper short abstract:

This presentation will use the exhibition "African Scribes: Manuscript Culture of Ethiopia" held at the British Library in 2018 as a case study to explore the challenges displaying items that l sill evokes strong emotions among some people in Ethiopia

Paper long abstract:

The Magdala Manuscripts are among one of the highlights of the British Library's rich international collections of religious manuscripts. The manuscripts total 349 volumes and include works dating back to the 13th century. The manuscripts were all taken from the King Theodore's capital at Maqdala (መቅደላ) by a punitive expedition in 1867-68. After the fortress of Magdala was captured by the British troops, the soldiers looted hundreds of sacred and secular objects sold to raise prize-money for the troops. Most of the looted items were deposited in the British Museum (British Library), Victoria & Albert Museum and some of the manuscripts were acquired by the Bodleian Library, Cambridge University, the Royal Library of Windsor Castel and some still remain in private possession across Europe.

I was appointed curator for the Ethiopian collection at the British Library in 2016, this was the first post created since the foundation of the British Library. 2018 was the 150th anniversary of the 1868 Abyssinian Expedition, to mark the anniversary I curated the exhibition, "African Scribes: Manuscript Culture of Ethiopia," in the British Library's Sir John Ritblat Treasures Gallery. It was the first exhibit to be held at the UK devoted entirely to Magdala manuscripts collection, exploring the culture of a manuscript tradition which extends back to the early centuries of the Christian era.

I recognized this anniversary was an opportunity to debates the future of Ethiopian manuscripts collections in European museums.