A British museum is to return a lock of hair that the Ethiopian government considers a national treasure.
The hair was cut from the head of Emperor Tewodros II, who killed himself rather than be taken prisoner by the British during their 1868 invasion of Ethiopia.
Strands of Emperor Tewodros II’s hair were given to the National Army Museum in London sixty years ago.
His seven-year-old son, Prince Alemayehu, who was taken to the UK along with looted treasures, became a favourite of Queen Victoria before dying at eighteen and his remains kept in Windsor Castle despite campaigns for his return.
The National Army Museum has now agreed to return the artefact, but said it is not returning any other items of African origin.
The move has reignited demands for the UK to return all the looted artefacts on display in British museums.
Historians say fifteen elephants and two hundred mules were needed to cart away all the loot from Maqdala, the emperor’s northern citadel capital.
Ethiopia lodged a formal request in 2008 at various British institutions for the return of the treasures worth millions of dollars taken from the site.
Comments are closed for this post.