Not currently on display at the V&A

Necklace

before 1868 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This necklace of silver, leather and amber was formerly in the possession of Queen Woyzaro Terunesh, second wife of the Ethiopian emperor Tewodros II (Theodore) and mother of the prince Alamayou. In 1864, frustrated by a lack of communication from Queen Victoria's government, Tewodros took a number of Europeans captive, including the British consul, Captain Cameron. The British response was a military expedition of huge complexity and expense led by Sir Robert Napier. The expedition marched to Tewodros's fortress at Maqdala where a brief battle took place. Britain won the conflict, but not before the captives were released and Tewodros himself had committed suicide.

Contemporary reports record that the widowed Queen expressed a wish to 'be escorted as far as her native province of Semyen, in the north-west part of Tigreh [but] … when the head-quarters' camp reached Aikhullet, on May 15 [1868], this poor lady died', apparently of lung disease. 'Her funeral took place next morning in the great church at Chelicut … The women of her household, showing her robe, her ornaments, her slippers and her drinking cup, beat their breasts, tore their hair, and scratched their cheeks, shedding tears of real grief as they bewailed her death' (Illustrated London News, 1868). An inventory of the Queen's possessions includes mention of a 'charm necklace amber leather and silver'. These possessions were sent on to the Secretary of State for India at the India Office, London, and given to the South Kensington (later V&A) Museum the following year.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Silver, leather, amber
Brief description
Necklace, silver, leather, amber, Ethiopia, before 1868 (formerly belonging to Queen Woyzaro Terunesh, second wife of the Ethiopian emperor Tewodros II (Theodore)).
Physical description
Necklace formed of seven pairs of silver cylinders (amulets?), seven pairs of red-leather-covered tubes and fifteen flat amber beads.
Dimensions
  • Length: 35cm
Credit line
Given by the Secretary of State for India
Object history
Accessions register entry: 'Necklace. Silver and leather tubes separated by flat amber beads, belonging formerly to the Queen of Abyssinia. Abyssinian. Given by the Secretary of State for India. April 28th 1869'.

See 'Set of Articles of Deceased Queen of Abyssinia' and related correspondence in British Library collections at IOR R/20/AIA/503.
Association
Summary
This necklace of silver, leather and amber was formerly in the possession of Queen Woyzaro Terunesh, second wife of the Ethiopian emperor Tewodros II (Theodore) and mother of the prince Alamayou. In 1864, frustrated by a lack of communication from Queen Victoria's government, Tewodros took a number of Europeans captive, including the British consul, Captain Cameron. The British response was a military expedition of huge complexity and expense led by Sir Robert Napier. The expedition marched to Tewodros's fortress at Maqdala where a brief battle took place. Britain won the conflict, but not before the captives were released and Tewodros himself had committed suicide.

Contemporary reports record that the widowed Queen expressed a wish to 'be escorted as far as her native province of Semyen, in the north-west part of Tigreh [but] … when the head-quarters' camp reached Aikhullet, on May 15 [1868], this poor lady died', apparently of lung disease. 'Her funeral took place next morning in the great church at Chelicut … The women of her household, showing her robe, her ornaments, her slippers and her drinking cup, beat their breasts, tore their hair, and scratched their cheeks, shedding tears of real grief as they bewailed her death' (Illustrated London News, 1868). An inventory of the Queen's possessions includes mention of a 'charm necklace amber leather and silver'. These possessions were sent on to the Secretary of State for India at the India Office, London, and given to the South Kensington (later V&A) Museum the following year.
Collection
Accession number
416-1869

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJanuary 6, 2005
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest