While INLIBRIS acknowledges the historical circumstances of how the manuscript was removed, it has defended its right to sell it. According to the auction organizers, the artifact possesses a chain of ownership spanning over a century and a half.
Following the 1868 campaign against Emperor Tewodros II, it came into the possession of Robert Cornelis Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala, and subsequently passed through a succession of commercial, institutional, and private collections, including the Pitt Rivers Museum and the Schøyen Collection.
Alula Pankhurst noted that strong moral arguments dictate that looted cultural heritage must not be treated as commercial merchandise. Pankhurst urged INLIBRIS to cancel the sale and consult with Ethiopian authorities to ensure the artifact returns to its rightful home at the National Museum of Ethiopia.
In response to the mounting backlash, INLIBRIS suggested it could sell the manuscript back to Ethiopian institutions at a “preferential price” as a “gesture of goodwill.” However, the firm maintained that the transaction must be treated as a standard commercial purchase rather than an acknowledgement of any title defect or formal restitution claim.
Abebaw Ayalew, Director General of the Ethiopian Heritage Authority, firmly rejected the dealer’s preconditions and condemned the auction process.
