ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

The shield of Emperor Tewodros II, an artifact looted from Ethiopia during the 1868 Magdala War between Ethiopia and the UK, has returned to its homeland from the UK after 156 years, local media reported Friday.

The ceremonial handover was attended by officials from the Ethiopian Heritage Protection Authority and descendants of veterans who fought in the Magdala War, according to the state-owned Ethiopian Press Agency.

Through efforts by the Royal Ethiopian Trust (RET), the shield was reclaimed after negotiations with the UK-based auction house Anderson & Garland.

The shield had been slated for public auction in February but was withdrawn following pressure from the Ethiopian government, marking a significant achievement in Ethiopia’s campaign to recover its cultural heritage.

The Battle of Magdala, the final confrontation of the British Expedition to Abyssinia, was fought in April 1868 between British forces led by Robert Napier and Abyssinian forces under Emperor Tewodros II.

Following his defeat, Emperor Tewodros II took his own life, and his son, Prince Alemayehu, was taken to Britain, where he died in 1879 at age 18.

British forces seized numerous Ethiopian artifacts during the battle, including ceremonial items and religious symbols.