Among the 32 items being returned under long-term loan deals is a gold peace pipe, revealed by BBC.
The items to be loaned, most of which were taken during the 19th-century wars between the British and the Asante, include a state sword and gold badges worn by officials tasked with purifying the king’s soul.
Asante gold objects epitomize Asante royal government and are believed to be invested with the spirits of former Asante kings.
The three-year loan agreements, renewable for another three years, are not with the Ghanaian government but with Otumfo Osei Tutu II – the current Asante king known as the Asantehene – who attended the coronation of King Charles last year.
The Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) is contributing 17 works, while the British Museum is lending 15 objects.
The chief negotiator for Ghana expressed hope for “a new sense of cultural cooperation” after generations of anger over repatriation.
In the UK, some national museums, including the V&A and the British Museum, are prohibited by law from permanently returning disputed objects to their collections.
Loan agreements, such as the one involving the return of items to Ghana, are seen as a way to allow items to return to their countries of origin. However, some countries claiming disputed artefacts are concerned that accepting loans could imply recognition of UK ownership.
Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A, told the BBC that the gold objects of court events are equivalent to “our Crown Jewels”.
Hunt said that when museums hold “artifacts with origins in war and the spoils of military campaigns, we have a responsibility to the countries of origin to think about how we can share them more fairly today.
“It doesn’t seem to me that all our museums will fail if we create these kinds of partnerships and exchanges.”
The artefacts will be displayed at the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi, the capital of the Asante region, to commemorate the silver jubilee of the Asantehene.