Portrait of Haile Selassie. Gouache paint on thin cardboard. Portrait of a man fills the picture, shown from the waist up. Figure has a large head with dark hair and beard, and large eyes and nose. He wears a dark jacket with a green sash and medals on his chest, with a striped robe on his shoulders. Both hands grip a staff in front of him. Two crosses sit behind him in the upper corners of the painting, striped flags of Ethiopia flying below them. Cotton stitching in green and orange surround the portrait, along the edges of the cardboard. The back of the cardboard has a black and tan marbled pattern.

• Narrative

  This painting depicts Emperor Haile Selassie, called "His Imperial Majesty" in Ethiopia. He reigned from 1916-1974 and is famous for his attempt to modernize Ethiopia while maintaining a strict autocracy and fighting internal rebellion. His reign was briefly interrupted by Ethiopia's only instance of foreign occupation by the Italians, but he became a symbol of the fight against European colonization in Africa. Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed by a military junta in 1974, ending Ethiopia's Christian monarchy. This painting was likely a reproduction of a widely-produced nationalistic portrait of Selassie. Ethiopia's national colours and flag are used, as is the Christian cross. The painting also showcases the emperor with his military medals and uniform as he grasps a sword. This painting would have been available for citizens to purchase and carry, as it is painted on cardboard.

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• Type of Item painting
• Culture Ethiopian
• Measurements height 35.0 cm, width 24.6 cm (overall)

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• Previous Owner Edward Harvey, Lorna Marsden
• Received from Edward Harvey, Lorna Marsden

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• Made in Ethiopia

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• Creation Date before 1950
• Collection Date during 1972
• Ownership Date before July 15, 2016
• Acquisition Date on July 15, 2016

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• Item Classes paintings; works on paper
• Condition fair
• Accession Number 3188/0003