“After 150 years, looted Asante kingdom treasures, like the Mpomponsuo ceremonial cap and gold peace pipe, are exhibited at Manhyia Museum.
British took them during Anglo-Asante Wars, including 1874’s Sagrenti War.”
Additionally returned was a gold lute-harp that Asantehene Osei Bonsu gave to British envoy Thomas Edward Bowdich as part of a commercial agreement in 1817.
The British Museum (BM) returned fifteen of these artifacts, while the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) returned seventeen.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II stated after the repatriation of these stolen artifacts that doing so represents a restoration of the Asante “spirit” and “soul.”
“The items that came back are virtually the soul of the people of Asante. Not all of them have returned. But what we have here embodies the soul of Asante. Today is a day Asantes and for Black African continent. The spirit that we bore, and share is back with us,”
When Otumfuo Opoku Ware II opened the Manhyia Museum in 1925, it was the first palace the British had constructed for Asantehene Nana Prempeh I.
It is meant to take the place of the royal palace that was destroyed in 1900 during the Yaa Asantewaa War.
After being closed for three weeks, the museum now showcases photos, regalia, lifelike mannequins of Asantehenes and Asantehemaas from the 20th and 21st centuries, and tells the story of the Asante kingdom, including its encounters with the British.
Dr. Tristam Hunt, the director of the Victoria and Albert Museum in the UK, is optimistic about the effectiveness of cross-cultural interactions.
“We acknowledge the very painful history surrounding the acquisition of these objects. A history tainted by the scars of imperial conflict and colonialism. These treasures have borne witness to triumph and trials of the great kingdom and their return to Kumasi is testament to the power of cultural exchange and reconciliation,”
“Ghana and other African nations have been asking for the return of stolen items. Some have got back their precious historical pieces recently.
Ivor Agyemang-Duah, the main negotiator, said talks continue for the return of hundreds of looted artifacts from museums worldwide.”
“We’re talking to some individual art collectors and institutions in South Africa and also a couple of three leading museums and galleries in the UK. We have begun negotiations. I’ll be traveling to meet them for first formal negotiations,”
The items will be borrowed for three years at first, with the option to renew for another three years. This aligns with the Asantehene’s 25th anniversary since he became ruler of the Golden Stool.
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