Did you know that Ethiopia has one of the longest standing traditions of Christian practice in the world?
East Africa and the Horn of Africa
Gospel Book
Odundo's pottery draws on traditions from around the world and reveals the relationship of clay to the body
Magdalene Anyango N. Odundo, Symmetrical Reduced Black ...
The ruins of the ancient city of Aksum are found close to Ethiopia's northern border.
City of Aksum
These pieces of broken pots were picked up on a beach in Tanzania, East Africa, and they come from pots that were actually made as far away as China or the Middle East.
Kilwa pot sherds
Contemporary artist Sheila Hicks discusses the geometric iconography and calligraphy of this Ethiopian prayer book
Sheila Hicks on The Harp of Praise ...
The earliest known Ethiopian icons have been dated to the fifteenth century and typically portray the Virgin and Child, the Apostles, and Saint George.
An Ethiopian icon
Ethiopia’s Christian heritage predates much of Europe’s, and includes churches hewn from living rock.
Christian Ethiopian art
Learn about the geography of East Africa.
About East Africa
Odundo’s vessels may be described as variations on a theme, in which subtle modifications of form have great aesthetic impact
Magdalene Odundo, Untitled (Vessel)
This 15th century manuscript is based on Egyptian Coptic sources, but its creators imbued it with local flair.
Illuminated Gospel
Pious, multilingual, and technologically advanced, these coins were currency in more ways than one.
Aksumite Coins
By 400 C.E., Aksum was a sophisticated Christian empire with a written language and an international reputation.
The kingdom of Aksum
This island’s architecture attests to its long and tumultuous history of wealth, power, exchange, and conquest.
Kilwa Kisiwani, Tanzania
In this work, a contemporary Ethiopian artist explores the utopian potential of chaos in a globalizing world.
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