Painting: Battle of Adwa
date: label: Accession Date
content: 2 Oct 1930
name: label: Collector
content: Hon. Hoffman Philip
label: Donor Name
content: Hon. Hoffman Philip
notes: label: Notes
content: From card: "Illus. in Proceedings, USNM, vol. 40; Pl. 25; p. 276. [Painting] Oil on canvas, depicting the Abyssinian and Italian armies, also Menelek and Queen Taitu."
label: Notes
content: The Battle of Adwa (usually known as Adowa, or sometimes by the Italian name Adua) was fought on 1 March 1896 between Ethiopia and Italy near the town of Adwa, Ethiopia, in Tigray. It was the climactic battle of the First Italo-Ethiopian War.
label: Notes
content: From NMNH African Voices exhibit: "Battle of Adwa, 1896. This painting chronicles the ferocity of the Battle of Adwa, in which Ethiopians defeated the Italian invaders. In the upper right, Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II commands his forces. In the lower left is Queen Taitu. Artistic conventions from Ethiopian religious art prevails: The righteous Ethiopians are seen as full-faced figures, the forces of evil are largely in profile. Made by an unsigned Ethiopian artist."
label: Notes
content: Per Nancy J. Jacobs, 2010, this painting depicts the Battle of Adwa, and shows Emperor Menelik mounted on a white horse on the upper left. Below him are Queen Taitu, Orthodox priests, and his army. All Ethiopians are represented full face and Italians are shown in profile, either attempting to advance against the Emperor or retreating out of the frame.
label: Record Last Modified
content: 7 Jul 2021
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Ethiopia, Africa
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Abyssinian
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 111772
label: USNM Number
content: E261845-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Painting