The King of Shewa, who rose to power as Emperor of Ethiopia after the death of his predecessor Yohannes IV. Utilizing troops trained with modern firearms and tactics of his time Menelik would restore the Ethiopian empire to its former size and strength. He would also rout and humiliate a European power, after the Italians lost their colonial gamble at the Battle of Adwa in March of 1896.
This miniature depicts the Emperor in his royal panoply upon a steed with ornate horse furniture.
