The first International Conference on Ethiopian art, convened by Dr. Richard Pankhurst in 1986, produced Proceedings dedicated to Ethiopian art, spanning over two millennia. The volume includes papers on Ethiopian painting (manuscript illuminations and murals), metalwork, architecture, and folk art.

This was the first International Conference specifically devoted to the study of Ethiopian art. The Proccedings of the Conference makes available papers devoted to the study of Ethiopian art, as distinct from papers on other aspects of Ethiopian life and civilization. As such, it represents a significant contribution to the study of the art of the Ethiopian people over two thousand years. Convened by Dr. Richard Pankhurst at the Warburg Institute in October 1986, it was the first of a series, the second meeting of which was held in Warsaw in 1990. The contents of this volume are principally devoted to studies of Ethiopian painting, both manuscript illuminations and murals. There are also individual studies on Ethiopian metalwork and architecture, with a section on folk art.