Ethiopia
A Hidden Empire of ecclesiastical
and Secular Treasures
IIt would be impossible, even in a long, long lifetime, to visit all the 15,000 churches so far known in Ethiopia. Many of them are forbidden entirely to the visitor while others are accessible only to the most intrepid. Abba Salama Monastery, last resting place of the Saint who converted Ethiopia to Christianity, can only be reached by scaling a 60-foot high sheer cliff face, while a visit to the superb monastery of -Debre Damo-perched like the Greek monasteries of Athos and Meteora, high on inaccessible rocks and, like them, barred to women and all female animals -involves a laborious, 50-foot, handover-hand climb up a plaited leather rope.
   But the churches that can be visited, and they are multitudinous, suffice to give an impressive insight into the faith and inspiration of Ethiopia's kings, architects and artists. Priests in their rich, colourful vestments will spend patient hours proudly displaying their vast treasures of religious and secular objects, their heritage of vestments and beautifully-illuminated missals, their ceremonial crosses and musical instruments.
   Endearingly attractive are the "story pictures" of Ethiopia: brightly-coloured graphic representations of scenes from the Bible and from the country's history. And not the least of their charms is the knowledge that those you can purchase in the market today are executed in exactly the same technique as has been used for over 2,000 years-indeed, only by the type of paint and the material on which they are painted (and their price!) carfyou be sure whether your purchase dates from more than 20 centuries ago, or from the day before yesterday. You find them everywhere, on the walls and ceilings of tiny, tucked-away shrines and monas=teries; in larger churches and abbeys; in private homes; and in the markets everywhere. Painted on canvas, on leather, on parchment, on any surface that will hold paint, they bear witness to an abiding faith combined with a lively sense of the dramatic and, occasionally, deep flashes of humour.
   Wood-carving, too, has been an Ethiopian craft for centuries: ceilings, walls, lintels, doors, are finely carved and decorated, often with flowers, trees and beasts. The humblest village musician will proudly show you his home-made musical instrument, lovingly and patiently carved, often surmounted by a cross.
   The crosses of Ethiopia in themselves are worth hours of study. They exist in infinite variety, both of design		 and material. There is, indeed, almost no limit to the styles of the pectoral crosses, worn round the neck. They range from solid designs reminiscent of the Maltese Cross, to delicate silver and gold filigree work. The priests' crosses, ranging in size from one to two feet to towering processional crosses taller than the man who carries them, are more standardised in form-with a characteristic square base, they are wrought in iron or intricately-worked silver.
   Secular treasures, too, abound. Jewel-studded crowns and diadems; ruby and emerald-encrusted -daggers and shields; silver birelas, the vessels that hold tej Ethiopia's honey wine; rich, brocaded robes; splendidly-worked goblets and table-ware.
   The Ethiopian has a keen sense of beauty and design, from the nomad girl, patiently plaiting a fresh wreath of leaves to encircle her forehead, to the priest bent over the parchment missal he is illuminating in accordance with an ageold tradition. Forthe visitor, the fruits of their labour over the centuries, is a rich harvest of interest and beauty.		 Secular Treasures
49 Wooden cross and triptych. 50 A medieval illuminated manuscript on parchment. 51 Wooden diptych representing the trinity and the 24 Elders. 52 Processional cross. 53 Folded book made of parchment, mounted as a wheel. 54 Wooden grave marker from Gemu Gofa Province, with phallic ornament. 55 Galls gravestones in Sidamo Province. 56 Priest with silver sistrum.
Secular Treasures and Priest

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