Manhyia Palace Museum displays 35 looted artifacts

The Manhyia Palace has displayed looted artefacts from the Asante Kingdom by British colonisers for public viewing.

Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II described the return of the artefacts to the Asante Kingdom as the coming back of the spirit the African continent shared, urging the public to visit the Manhyia Palace Museum to view the items.

The artefacts that were taken from the Asante Kingdom by the British 150 years ago have been returned under a loan agreement for three years, which is subject to renewal.

The agreement is between the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Museum and the Asante Kingdom.

The returned 32 artefacts include the sword of state, a gold peace pipe and other ornaments of silver and gold.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II expressed his gratitude to the British Museum in an address at the display ceremony.

“The exhibition that we are witnessing today has been through negotiations from my predecessors, where Prempeh I, when he returned, requested for these artefacts to be brought back. My uncle Prempeh II also brought up that idea in 1948 and my brother Opoku Ware also came up with this idea again and then I come here standing in front of you to negotiate.

“When I travelled in May [2023], I brought the matter up again with the British Museum and through that, here we are with all these items being returned and the agreement is for us to keep it for three years and renew it for another three years.”