With a rich history of arts and architecture dating to before the Queen of Sheba, seeing Ethiopia's t reasures safely outside of the African country is always a treat.
Even Michael Gervers, a professor of history and an expert on Ethiopia working at the University of Toronto-Scarborough, has not trekked that country's mountains and deserts since 2020, when civil war erupted.
“I am very happy about this exhibition in Toledo,” said Gervers, who will be delivering a lecture, Rock-Hewn Churches and Sacred Groves: Architecture as the Home of Religion and Art in Ethiopia, at the Toledo Museum of Art from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday. “It is very rare in North America.
IF YOU GO What: Lecture on
Rock-Hewn Churches and Sacred Groves: Architecture as the Home of Religion and Art in Ethiopia When: 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday
Where: Green Building, Little Theater, Toledo Museum of Art
Cost: Free
What: Ethiopia at the Crossroads exhibit
When: Through Nov. 10
Where: Toledo Museum of Art, 2445 Monroe St.
Cost: $10
“It is like a banquet. It is a joy,” he said of the collection of 225 historical and contemporary items being exhibited as part of the Toledo Museum of Art's exhibit, Ethiopia at the Crossroads .
Even during the best of times, travel to remote parts of Ethiopia can be daunting, according to Gervers. However, it is worth it for the country's famed monolithic churches that were carved out of vast mountains of rock in a craft that continues today on a smaller scale. They are notable works of architecture with intricacies unique to the region. Gervers has been working to document more than 35 churches that have been chiseled in more modern times.
“Despite the loss of many medieval monuments due to conflict and environmental factors, Ethiopia's rock-hewn churches — carved into the earth from at least the 11th century — have endured for a thousand years and are iconic examples of Ethiopia's architectural ingenuity and spiritual significance,” said Sophie Ong, assistant director of strategic initiatives at the Toledo Museum of Art.
“This varied architectural landscape provides the distinctive, sacred context for the themes and artwork featured within the exhibition,” she said.
It also is a safe space, inviting contemplation in Toledo. On the other hand, the U.S. State Department asks that citizens reconsider any travel to Ethiopia due to a cathedral full of concerns including drought, civil unrest, sporadic violence, crime, terrorism, and kidnapping.
“The country is in a terrible mess,” said Gervers, whose journeys to Ethiopia included a visit every year from 2000 to 2020. His first expedition to Ethiopia was in 1982.
A rich past
Art and architecture are intertwined with Ethiopia's primary religion of Christianity, according to Gervers. Among the historical objects that have been found are tens of thousands of handwritten parchment manuscripts — including a Psalter with Praise of Mary and the Canticles of the Prophets, created around 1400 to 1500 on ink and pigments on parchment with wooden boards that is being displayed at the Toledo Museum of Art.
“Dr. Gervers’ lecture will offer invaluable insights into the significance of Ethiopia’s architectural environment and its role in the country's spiritual and artistic life,” Ong said. “Reflecting over 40 years of fieldwork in Ethiopia into over 1,700 years of history, he will delve into how these structures were built, their historical context, and how they represent Ethiopia's unique religious and cultural heritage.”
Ethiopia is renowned for the number of these freestanding rock structures, according to Gervers, adding that the craftsmanship was done so carefully and beautifully that people would not realize they were standing in a carved, rather than constructed, structure.
Torrential rains during the summers have a tendency to destroy buildings, so they don’t last very long, according to Gervers. But the country has a lot of rock — and its monoliths are unique to Christian religious architecture anywhere in the world.
“It is very practical,” Gervers said of the rock-hewn structures. “I don’t think Ethiopian Christians will stop carving churches from the rock. The difference will be that they will use machines to do the hewing, rather than hammer and chisel. One thing they have in northern Ethiopia, particularly Tigray, is plentiful rock to hew. In the absence of forest, and wood, stone is the essential building material.”
Striving for glory
Even with nine UNESCO world heritage sites, Ethiopia has seen its monetary riches dwindle as another round of drought is starving its citizens. It can look to its past glory, which rivaled Rome and Constantinople, with hopes for its resurgence. Once an important center of trade, it is now landlocked with eight inland ports. Much of the strife in the country is linked to its quest for the harbors that once made it a key route for world transactions. At the same time, it is working to bring stolen artifacts home.
Among the significant pieces on display at the Toledo Museum of Art is the Magdala Shield, which is making a brief showing before being repatriated to the National Museum of Ethiopia. The shield was one of numerous artifacts seized by British troops following the battle of Magdala in 1868. When the shield was up for public auction in February, the Royal Ethiopian Trust successfully negotiated to have it pulled from the auction and returned to the country.
The art museum will be the only venue in the U.S. to display the shield before its return to Africa.
“This shield is not just a historical artifact, it is a symbol of Ethiopia’s history and resilience,” said His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Haile-Selassie, who founded the non-profit trust. “Our efforts and success in regaining this treasure is a testament to our commitment to preserve our heritage and honor our ancestors who fought for our nation's sovereignty.”
The Ethiopian soldier who carried the circular leather shield died in battle, and there is a Snider's rifle bullet hole in the bottom right-hand side. Ethiopian Emperor Tweodros II committed suicide to avoid capture after his fortress fell to the British.
His Imperial Highness will visit the Toledo Museum of Art for a panel discussion on Returning the Shield of Magdala: A Conversation on Heritage and History from 2 to 3 p.m., with a reception from 3 to 5 p.m., on Oct. 26.
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