Agegnehu
Engida (ascribed to)
Baptism of a prince and blessing to the Emperor
Location: Ethiopia
Dating: 1933 -1937
Material / Technique: Painting on canvas, framed
Collection / Inventory: Museum of Civilizations, Rome. INV. No. MuCiv 23.S48-5.129
Provenance: The work belonged to a series of works created between 1933 and 1937 by Agegnehu Engida, together with his assistants, within the Parliament of Ethiopia. It was placed in the Senate Hall and the Hall of Representatives. During the Italian occupation of Ethiopia (1936 - 1941), the canvas was stolen from the Parliament to be taken to Italy and exhibited in the Colonial Museum in Rome. The events surrounding this colonial-era theft are currently not known in detail. The lack of archive data makes it impossible to certify its authenticity, which is, however, derived from a comparison with period pictures.
The informations contained in the captions are derived from historical documentation or cataloging and inventories that do not necessarily reflect complete or current knowledge on the part of the Museum of Civilizations.
The progressive revision of the collections database is ongoing and will be constantly updated based on the research conducted and by activating comparisons and collaborations with external parties as well, with particular attention to provenance studies.
