{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O98186"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O98186/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AN6394/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AN6394/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AN6394","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O98186/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O98186","accessionNumber":"M.24:1, 2-2005","objectType":"Shield","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This shield was looted after the battle at Arogee in Ethiopia on 10 April 1868, by the Royal Naval Brigade serving with British troops on the 1867-8 British Expedition to Ethiopia. It was placed on loan at the South Kensington museum (later renamed the Victoria and Albert Museum) by the Lords of the Admiralty in 1868, along with a silver processional cross (M.25-2005).\r\n\r\n\r\nShields such as this were given as marks of distinction by the Ethiopian emperor to the<font -i> rases</font> (governors of provinces). The shields would often be covered in velvet, and further decorated with silver or other metals.  When the owner was engaged in an important discussion, a boy would hold the shield behind him to emphasise his status.","physicalDescription":"","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"","categories":[{"text":"Arms & Armour","id":"THES48992"},{"text":"Black History","id":"THES48989"},{"text":"Africa","id":"THES49019"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2006AN6394"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES403960"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES403960"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Shield","id":""}],[{"text":"Plaque","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Ethiopia","id":"x35090"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"before 1868","earliest":null,"latest":"1867-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Royal Naval Brigade. Abyssinian Trophy. Arogie, April 10th. Magdala, April 13th. 1868. Commander TH Butler Fellowes, Lieut. C S Cardale, Lieut. FRB Kemp, Sub Lieut GL Atkinson, Assist Surg HNM Sedgwick, Assist PM WE Boxer, Midshipman DA Crofton, And 93 Piety Officers and Seamen from HM Ships 'Octavia' 'Satellite' and 'Dryad'. Attached to the army under the command of lt. General Sir Robert Napier, KCB. KSI.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Commemorative plaque on the shield mount."}],"objectHistory":"<u>Provenance</u>: Looted at Arogee, Ethiopia, 10 April 1868, by the Royal Naval Brigade. Deposited on loan at the South Kensington Museum by the Lords of the Admiralty, 1868; formally accessioned into the V&amp;A collection in 2005 in accordance with the 1983 National Heritage Act.\r\n\r\nThis shield is mounted on a base to which a commemorative plaque is affixed. The plaque tells us that it was taken as a 'trophy' after the battle at Arogee in Ethiopia on 10 April 1868, by the Royal Naval Brigade serving with British troops on the 1867-8 British Expedition to Ethiopia. The battle that took place on 10 April was one of the final confrontations between British and Ethiopian troops during this pivotal episode in both British and Ethiopian history that culminated in the death of Emperor Tewodros II, the destruction of his fortress at Maqdala, and the looting of vast quantities of Ethiopian material culture by the British Army.\n\nIn 1863, Tewodros took hostage around thirty European diplomats and missionaries stationed in Ethiopia. He took this action after letters he had written to Queen Victoria in 1857 and 1862, requesting military assistance from Britain, had gone unanswered. Following failed diplomatic attempts to secure the release of the hostages, a large-scale British military expedition was launched from Bombay in October 1867. The expedition was led by General Sir Charles Robert Napier, and comprised around 12,000 British and Indian troops.\n\r\nOn 10th April 1868, a brutal battle took place between the Emperor's troops and the British army at Arogee, a plateau below Maqdala. The British army very quickly overwhelmed Tewodros’ soldiers with enormous firepower that resulted in heavy Ethiopian casualties. On 13 April, Napier’s forces launched the final attack on Maqdala that saw Tewodros’ armies entirely defeated. The Emperor took his own life.\n\r\nThe British Army then proceeded to ransack the fortress and the surrounding area, where they found many Ethiopian manuscripts, sacred objects and other valuable items.\n\r\nThe shield was placed on loan at the South Kensington museum (later renamed the Victoria and Albert Museum) by the Lords of the Admiralty in 1868, along with a silver processional cross (M.25-2005).\n\nAn undated historic label, found in museum stores alongside the shield, suggests that it once belonged to 'Dejactch Aboorlush Governor of Yejjo, who was beheaded at the bequest of Theodore, King of Ethiopia in July 1867' ('Theodore' was a name commonly used to refer to Tewodros in Britain). 'Dejactch' is a corruption of 'Dejazmach', a title given to high-ranking Ethiopian noblemen and military officials, while 'Yejjo' (Yeiju or Yeju) is a historic region of Ethiopia, but the identity of the governor to whom this label refers is uncertain.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Circular hide shield with a turned up rim, covered in blue velvet with applied silver-gilt embossed and filigree mounts, Ethiopia, 18th or 19th century, with a commemorative brass plaque, ca. 1868.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[{"text":"Looting of Maqdala (1868)","id":"V92"},{"text":"1867-8 British Expedition to Ethiopia (1/10/1867 - 13/5/1868)","id":"AUTH407033"}],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Historic label (date unknown) found in store with object: '‘SHIELD. Leather covered with velvet and mounted in silver-gilt filigree. ABYSSINIAN; 18th/19th centuries. This shield formerly belonged to Dejactch Aboorlush Governor of Yejjo, who was beheaded at the bequest of Theodore, King of Ethiopia in July 1867. It was taken from King Theodore by the Royal Naval Brigade, after the battle of Arogie in 1868. Admiralty loan.’\r\n\r\n('Abyssinia' was a term historically used to refer to Ethiopia, mainly by those outside the country)","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}},{"text":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["M.24:1-2005","M.24:2-2005"],"accessionNumberNum":"24","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":2005,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Shield","Plaque"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-11","recordCreationDate":"2004-04-23","availableToBook":true}}