An 18th-century Ethiopian copper crown that was stored for over 20 years in a Rotterdam apartment, has been returned to Ethiopia with assistance from the Dutch government.
An Ethiopian refugee living in Rotterdam had kept it since 1998 after an Ethiopian visitor left it with him. He has told officials that he kept it because he thought it had been stolen and didn’t return it to the government because he suspected that government officials had been involved in the theft.
After a change in regime in Ethiopia, he decided the time was right, and got in touch with a Dutch art theft expert who called in police for help. It was turned over to Ethiopia’s prime minister and trade minister in a ceremony, and will now be displayed in the National Museum in Addis Ababa.
Photo: Abiy Ahmed Twitter feed
