In Crown (Taytu), Helina Metaferia pays tribute to Empress Taytu Betul, a pivotal figure in Ethiopian anticolonial resistance. Taytu contributed to the nation’s victory over the Italians in the historic Battle of Adwa in 1896. Etched in the sculpture are archival images Metaferia sourced from London’s Black Cultural Archives. These images document pivotal moments in women’s and civil rights activism of the 1980s, including protests such as the 1981 Black People’s Day of Action and the 1983 London march against apartheid. 

The crown’s central element features notable figures like Suzanne Scafe, Stella Dadzie, and Beverly Bryan, authors of the influential Black feminist text Heart of the Race: Black Women’s Lives in Britain (1985). Through this fusion of historical and contemporary references, Metaferia weaves a narrative that invites viewers to engage with themes of feminism, racial justice, and the enduring struggles for equality and liberation.

Helina Metaferia (born 1983), Crown (Taytu). Brass sculpture with etching, 2023. 11 × 7 1/2 × 9 in. (27.9 × 19.1 × 22.9 cm). Purchased with funds from the Florence Scott Libbey Bequest in Memory of her Father, Maurice A. Scott, 2024.27. Not on view.*