Redden Collection
A Major collection of Ethiopian art was donated to the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University on December 20, 2006.

Valued at more than $126,000, the collection of Ethiopian Icon Art was given to the MSRC as an unrestricted gift from Mr. George Redden of Annandale, Virginia. The art was a gift to his father, the late Professor Kenneth Redden from Emperor Haile Selassie I to show his appreciation for Professor Redden’s assistance in helping to develop the first law school in Ethiopia almost half a century ago. Professor Kenneth Redden was listed in Who’s Who in America in 1950 and was a highly published Law Professor at the University of Virginia. In the early 1960’s, he moved his family to Ethiopia for three years to set up the country’s first law school.

The collection of twenty-three pieces includes paintings of oil on canvas, cloth, and hide. They contain writing in Amharic as well as Geez. This collection is a grand addition to the Center’s holdings of Ethiopian art and artifacts.