INLIBRIS:
The 235 paintings make this volume an authoritative witness to Ethiopian narrative illumination.
Tewodros II (c. 1818-68), Emperor of Ethiopia from 1855 onward, is widely regarded as the first modern ruler of his country. He united much of Ethiopia under imperial authority, strengthened central government, curbed feudal power, and built a new elite based on merit and service.
His imperial library at Mäqdäla, comprising some thousand manuscripts, systematically brought together Ethiopia’s written heritage on a scale without precedent. His reforms laid important foundations for the modern Ethiopian state and were carried forward by his successors.
Pictures INLIBRIS
RM*:
This gospel was looted – with the rest of Tewodros library – during a British raid in 1868, and appropriated with numerous other religious texts and religious and ceremonial objects.
The repatriation of these treasures is a spearhead in Ethiopia’s restitution policy.
INLIBRIS Gilhofer Nfg is an Austrian auction house, established in 1883 with its headquarters in Vienna.
Zemen collection:
On 6 September 2026, INLIBRIS announced that a collection of 108 partly illuminated codices (Ethiopia and Egypt, late 18th to early 20th century) had been sold.
The Zemen Collection is very likely – in terms of quality and of quantity – the largest still in private hands. Professor Dr. Herbert Zemen (1940-2016), was a legal expert at Vienna University.
Comment Yirga Gelaw Woldeyes (Curin University):
- These books were texts of Indigenous knowledge, disregarded by the Ethiopian native-colonial government as primitive. For more context read here.
- Since the 18th century, a large quantity of these manuscripts have been stolen, looted, or smuggled out of the country by travellers who came to the country as explorers, diplomats and scientists. The total number of Ethiopian manuscripts taken is still unknown. Amsalu Tefera counted 6928 Ethiopian manuscripts currently held in foreign libraries and museums. This figure does not include privately held or unofficial collections.
