The Art Newspaper reports that the grandchildren of Ras Desta Damtew, a prominent Ethiopian general and noble, are seeking to recover his gold star medal after it surfaced in an online auction. The medal, listed by La Galerie Numismatique, a Swiss-based auction house specializing in rare coins, orders, and medals, was valued between €60,000 and €90,000. It is believed to have originated from an Italian soldier present at Desta’s capture during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. Despite requests from the family and the Ethiopian Heritage Authority to halt the sale, the auction proceeded on December 1 but failed to meet the minimum asking price of €48,000. The family aims to secure the medal for an Ethiopian museum, condemning the sale of looted artifacts tied to their country’s history.
Ras Desta Damtew (c. 1892 – 24 February 1937) was an Ethiopian noble and army commander, and a son-in-law of Emperor Haile Selassie I. Born in Maskan in the Gurage Zone, Desta was the second son of Fitawrari Damtew Ketena, who was killed at the Battle of Adwa in 1896. Desta served in the courts of Emperor Menelik II and later married Princess Tenagnework Haile Selassie, with whom he had six children.
During the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, Ras Desta commanded troops along Ethiopia’s southern border. Despite fierce resistance, he was defeated and captured by Italian forces. In 1937, he was executed by firing squad in Fikke, Oromia, as part of Italy’s brutal campaign to crush Ethiopian resistance. The resurfacing of his medal, believed to have been looted by an Italian soldier, has sparked a campaign by his descendants to recover and preserve this significant piece of Ethiopian history.
La Galerie Numismatique, which operates offices in Lausanne, Bucharest, and Paris, specializes in the sale of historical and rare items, including medals and orders from various countries and eras. Despite their reputation for offering unique collectibles, the sale of Ras Desta Damtew’s medal has drawn sharp criticism, particularly from those advocating for the return of looted cultural artifacts.
