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1 of 253523 objects
Ethiopia
Headdress
Gilt bronze, velvet, gemstones | 14.5 x 20.0 x 22.0 cm (whole object) | RCIN 3492
Grand Vestibule, Windsor Castle
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A gilt-bronze pierced Abyssinian (Ethiopian) royal headdress backed by purple velvet and encrusted with coloured stones of African origin. Gilt bronze tassles each with coloured stones around top and base rims. At the front are two 'Lions of Judah' crowned with an Ethiopian royal crown and flanking a processional cross. The 'Lions of Judah' were a symbol of Ethiopian princes and a reference to their Solomonic dynasty. The bust in profile mounted above the crowned lions is that of the Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II (1844-1913).
Provenance
Presented to Queen Mary by the Abyssinian mission, June 1919. The Illustrated London News reported on 5 July 1919 that three representatives had come to 'present gifts and a friendly address from the Empress of Abyssinia and the Heir-Apparent, Ras Tafari, to their Majesties the King and Queen, congratulating them on the victorious issue of the war, and reaffirming Abyssinian friendship with this country'.
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Creator(s)
(nationality)Acquirer(s)
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Medium and techniques
Gilt bronze, velvet, gemstones
Measurements
14.5 x 20.0 x 22.0 cm (whole object)
Place of Production
Ethiopia
Featured in
TrailGrand Vestibule: The British Monarchy and the World
A display highlighting the interaction between the monarchy and the wider world
