Toledo Museum–Ethiopia Partnership Moves Five ‘Objects in Limbo’ Toward Return

Five objects start a longer relationship

The Toledo Museum of Art has formed a 20-year partnership with the Ethiopian Heritage Authority and is helping return five artifacts from collector Bob McCarthy: two manuscripts and three crosses, The Art Newspaper reported September 4.

McCarthy approached the museum about donating objects so they could reach their rightful homes, but they lacked provenance documents showing how and when they left Ethiopia. Museum staff call such works “objects in limbo” because origin may be known while the custody and export trail is incomplete.

Research identified the two manuscripts as being in Ethiopia after 1970 and likely removed afterward. The three crosses have been transferred to the Ethiopian authority. The museum's account does not claim direct evidence of illicit conduct for every object, an important limit when discussing past collectors.

Provenance is more than a list of owners

The 1970 UNESCO Convention became a central reference for preventing illicit import, export and ownership transfers. Museum standards strengthened over subsequent decades, leaving institutions with many older acquisitions whose documentation would not satisfy current expectations.

Research can include export permits, dealer invoices, photographs, exhibition records, publications and consultation with source-country experts. Missing paperwork creates uncertainty; it should prompt investigation without automatically becoming an accusation.

The first decade of the Toledo partnership is expected to emphasize research, professional capacity and restitution work. The second is intended to develop longer-term approaches to custody and disposition, moving beyond a one-off transfer.

Why the partnership model matters

Direct collaboration gives Ethiopian scholars and officials authority in questions about Ethiopian heritage rather than asking a U.S. museum to decide alone. It can also produce knowledge about objects whose religious and historical meaning extends beyond market value.

The museum is reinstalling its Cloister gallery with a focus on connections among Ethiopia, Armenia, Byzantium and Islamic empires. Objects displayed there are expected to have documented provenance, while uncertain items can move through a separate research path.

The image is an authentic CC BY-SA photograph of the Toledo Museum exterior. It does not show the five artifacts, McCarthy, Ethiopian officials or a transfer ceremony.

Limits and what to watch

Incomplete records do not prove that every object was stolen; the museum says two manuscripts were known in Ethiopia after 1970 and likely removed, while the export trail for the group remains incomplete.

The next development to watch is formal transfer of the five objects and publication of research produced through the partnership.