Britain and South Africa have returned over 130 looted gold and bronze artefacts to Ghana’s Asante king in a landmark restitution ceremony.
ACCRA: Britain and South Africa have returned more than 130 looted treasures to Ghana’s traditional Asante king in a landmark restitution ceremony.
The gold and bronze artefacts were taken during colonial expeditions between the 1870s and early 20th century, according to a palace announcement.
Asante King Otumfuo Osei Tutu II formally received the items at the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi on Sunday.
The returned treasures include royal regalia, ceremonial drums and gold weights depicting Asante governance systems and spiritual beliefs.
Their repatriation comes amid growing global pressure on Western institutions to address colonial-era plunder of African cultural heritage.
The Asante king specifically thanked South African mining company AngloGold Ashanti for returning several items purchased on the open market.
This latest restitution included 110 artefacts from Geneva’s Barbier-Muller Museum collection originally assembled by collector Josef Muller in 1904.
British art historian Hermione Waterfield donated 25 additional items, including a wooden drum seized during Britain’s 1900 siege of Kumasi.
Art historian Ivor Agyeman-Duah confirmed the drum was among significant historical pieces returned in the latest shipment.
The Manhyia Palace Museum received 67 restituted or loaned cultural objects from international institutions throughout 2024.
Previous contributors included London’s British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, and Los Angeles’ Fowler Museum.
This repatriation represents one of the largest single returns of Asante cultural heritage in recent years. – AFP
