- Written by Kathryn Armstrong in London and Favor Nunoo in Accra
- BBC news
Britain has returned dozens of looted artifacts from what is now Ghana, more than 150 years after they were taken.
Approximately 32 gold and silver items were sent to the country on long-term loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) and the British Museum.
These were stolen from the court of the Asante King, known as the Asantehene, during a conflict between the British and the powerful Asante tribe in the 19th century.
The items are expected to be returned to the current king on Friday.
His chief negotiator, Ivor Agyemang-Dua, told the BBC that the goods were now in “safe hands” in Ghana before being formally received.
They will be displayed next month at the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti region, as part of celebrations to mark the silver jubilee of the current Asante King, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
Among the relics returned are a golden peace pipe, a sword of state, and a golden badge worn by an official tasked with purifying the king’s soul.
Gold artefacts are the ultimate symbol of the Asante monarchy and are believed to contain the souls of past Asante kings.
The loan, which was negotiated with the Crown rather than the Ghanaian government, is for three years, with an option to extend for a further three years.
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has 17 pieces on loan, and 15 are from the British Museum.
Both museums said they were pleased to be able to return the exhibits that had been loaned to them as part of this important cultural collaboration.
Some national museums in the UK, such as the V&A and the British Museum, are prohibited by law from permanently returning disputed items in their collections, and such financing deals require the items to be returned to their country of origin. It is considered a way to return. .
image source, Getty Images
The return of Asante items comes a month before the celebrations to mark the silver jubilee of the Asantehene.
The Asante built a state that was once one of the most powerful and formidable in West Africa, trading in gold, textiles, and enslaved people, among other things.
This kingdom was famous for its military power and wealth. Even now, when Mr. Asantehene shakes hands at official events, he sometimes has a close aide whose job it is to support his arm because the heavy gold bangles he wears are a burden.
Stories of African wealth attracted Europeans to what was later named the Gold Coast, and the British fought repeated battles with the Asante people in the 19th century.
In 1874, after the Asante attack, British forces launched a “punitive expedition” in the language of the colony at the time, sacking Kumasi and taking much of the palace’s treasures.
Most of the items returned by the V&A were purchased at auction on 18 April 1874 by Garrard, the London jeweler who manages Britain’s Crown Jewels, and some of the items on loan to the British Museum were purchased in 1895. It was looted during the conflict between 1896 and 1896.
The return of the artifacts comes amid ongoing debate over what to do with other items exported from their home country, including Benin bronzes, also known as Parthenon sculptures, and Elgin marbles.
Some countries with claims to disputed artefacts fear the loans will be used to imply acceptance of British ownership.
But other countries see such agreements as a way for Britain to confront the cultural legacy of its colonial past while building better relations for the future.