Discover the first major exhibition in America to examine Ethiopian art in a global context. This extraordinary exhibition celebrates the artistic traditions of Ethiopia from their origins to the present day. Explore nearly 2,000 years of Ethiopian art and culture through more than 200 objects, including painted religious icons, illuminated manuscripts, gospel books, coins, metalwork and carvings paired with works by renowned contemporary Ethiopian artists including Wosene Worke Kosrof, Helina Metaferia, Aïda Muluneh, and Elias Sime.

Seated in the Horn of Africa between Europe and the Middle East, Ethiopia is an intersection of diverse cultures, religions and climates. Ethiopia at the Crossroads examines the enormous cultural significance of this often-overlooked African nation through art that tells the story of the region’s history and demonstrates the vibrancy of cross-cultural exchange and the human role in the creation and movement of these art objects. This exhibition draws from PEM’s collection of Ethiopian icons and processional crosses, and is augmented with loans from American, European, and Ethiopian lenders.

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Ethiopia at the Crossroads is co-organized by the Peabody Essex Museum, the Walters Art Museum, and Toledo Museum of Art. The exhibition has been made possible in part by two major grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. This exhibition at PEM is made possible by the generosity of Carolyn and Peter S. Lynch and The Lynch Foundation. We also thank James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes, Chip and Susan Robie, and Timothy T. Hilton as supporters of the Exhibition Innovation Fund and recognize the generosity of the East India Marine Associates of the Peabody Essex Museum.