Commemorative Medal from the Coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie
date: label: Accession Date
content: 1 Sep 1978
label: Collection Date
content: 1 Jun 1954
name: label: Collector
content: Acee Blue Eagle
label: Donor Name
content: Ms. Mae Abbott
notes: label: Notes
content: Commemorative gold medallion struck for the coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie I on November 2, 1930, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
label: Notes
content: During the first visit of Emperor Haile Selassie I to the U.S. in 1954 (March-June), he made a special stop at Oklahoma State University (then Oklahoma A&M) in Stillwater, Oklahoma for the singular purpose of thanking the university for the assistance it had provided in modernizing agricultural practices in Ethiopia. During that stop, the Emperor requested an opportunity to "meet an American Indian." For this purpose, Acee Blue Eagle, a well-known Native American artist, was called upon. At their meeting, Blue Eagle gave the Emperor a Plains war bonnet and seven of his paintings. He conferred upon the Emperor the name "Great Buffalo High Chief." In return, the Emperor conferred upon him one of the gold medals that had been produced to commemorate his coronation in 1930. These details of the Emperor's meeting with Acee Blue Eagle in Stillwater are described by Theodore Vestal in his book "The Lion of Judah in the New World" (2011: 77-78). Dr. Louise Siddens, Associate Professor of Art History at Oklahoma State University added that Blue Eagle had given the Emperor seven of his paintings (in communication with J. Homiak on March 6, 2020). One side of the medal is the likeness of the Emperor in his gold triple crown and ornate Solomonic vestments. On the other side is the seal of the Solomonic lineage represented by the Emperor's crown, two angles guarding a tabot that holds the Ark of the Covenant and the standing lion that symbolizes the Emperor's identity as the Conquering Lion of Judah. Both sides of the medal are inscribed with script in Ge'ez (the ancient liturgical language of Ethiopia). The side with the Emperor profile translates as: “Emperor Haile Selassie, King of Kings of Ethiopia.” The side with the Solomonic seal translates as: “Ethiopia stretches forth her hands unto God,” a line found in Psalm 68, verse 31. This medal is identical to others that were presented by the Emperor to heads of state and dignitaries in the course of his world travels, including the medals that he awarded to some 13 Rastafari leaders in Jamaica in 1966. Displayed in the 'Discovering Rastafari' exhibit in the Focus Gallery of the African Voices Hall from November 3, 2007 to November 11, 2011.
label: Record Last Modified
content: 26 Apr 2024
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States / Ethiopia, North America / Africa
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Amhara
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 328172
label: USNM Number
content: E435521-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Medallion