Haile Selassie’s silver cutlery

At the summer auction at Bredgade, we will be presenting a set of sterling silver cutlery for 24 people, with a particularly rare provenance. Emperor Haile Selassie (1892-1975) was the autocratic ruler of Ethiopia from 1930-74, but he spent a number of years in exile in England. The English import stamp on the cutlery testifies to the fact that it accompanied him during his exile.

Sweeping modernisation

Haile Selassie was the 225th emperor of Ethiopia – and its last. Ras Tafari Makonnen, as he was originally known, was born in a mud hut in Ejersa Gora in 1892, the only son of Governor Ras Makonnen. His father’s relationship to the country’s ruler, Menelik II, paved the way for Haile Selassie to ascend the throne as emperor in 1930.

“Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.”

These are the words of Haile Selaissie, and during his time as autocratic emperor, he attempted to modernise Ethiopia through the introduction of sweeping political, social and economic reforms, which, among other things, led to a modern army, an education system and the construction of a central and local administration. He was also renowned for his foreign policy and secured membership of the international confederation “The League of Nations” and “Organization of African Unity”for his country.

In 1936, Ethiopia, or Abyssinia as it was then known, was occupied by Mussolini’s Italy. Banished from the country, Haile Selassie lived in exile in Bath, England, until 1941, when the Italians were defeated by the allied forces. He returned to his native country, where, after the Second World War, he developed increasingly close ties with the West. For many years, Ethiopia was the largest recipient of U.S. development aid in Africa.

Ethiopia’s last emperor

In spite of the sweeping modernisation under Selassie, strong resistance developed among Ethiopian officers and intellectuals. The opposition demanded democracy, and with it the phasing out of the privileges of the autocratic aristocracy, and the introduction of land reforms for the rural population.

In 1972-73, a severe drought led to famine – and the deaths of some 200,000 people. The crisis fuelled the growing dissatisfaction among the people, who felt that the emperor had failed to respond to the country’s problems. This led to what was termed the “Creeping Revolution”, culminating in a military coup in 1974, when Haile Selassie was removed from the throne. He died in captivity the following year, probably murdered by the new government. 

Looked upon as God

Haile Selassie played a key role in the modernisation of Ethiopia and the country’s connections to the Western world. To this day, he is considered a divine figure in the religious Rastafarian movement, which originated among African Americans in Jamaica in the 1930s. The name is inspired by “Ras Tafari Makonnen”, as Haile Selassie was originally known before he was crowned. Rastafarianism is based on Christianity and worships Haile Selassie. It is an anti-capitalist, democratic and social movement, particularly well known for its reggae music, the consumption of marihuana and the characteristic dreadlocks and red, yellow and green headgear – the colours of the Ethiopian flag – of its followers.

Auction

The cutlery is set to go under the hammer on Thursday 6 June at Bredgade 33, Copenhagen. The preview takes place from 30 May to 3 June.

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