This exhibition is now closed
Room 3
Admission free
To celebrate the first Easter of the new
Ethiopian millennium, this display focuses on a recently conserved
painting originating from Tigray in northern Ethiopia.
The painting was made in the mid-19th century
for the Church of The Saviour of the World at Adwa. It was donated
to the Museum in 1893 by James Theodore Bent, but has never before
been on public display.
This unique painting tells multiple stories,
with layered meanings, about Church and Empire in 19th-century
Ethiopia.
The image of the crucifixion of Christ is at
its centre, but the scenes around the edge of the painting explore
a turbulent period of Ethiopian history, including the life story
of Bishop Selama, head of the Ethiopian Church from 1841 to 1867
and a key political and religious figure of the time.
The painting follows many Ethiopian artistic
traditions, both in style and composition.
By layering historical narratives with
messages of Holy Scripture, it communicates complex ideas of faith
and history through image rather than word. It provides insight
into the complex relationship between church and state and allows a
greater understanding of modern Ethiopian history.
Detail from a painting of the Crucifixion
of Jesus Christ and the life of Bishop Selama. From Tigray,
Ethiopia, c. AD 1855.