Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II is pleased to get some artefacts stolen by the British during the 1874 Sagrenti and subsequent wars but isn’t satisfied as he wants more to be released to the Kingdom.
Asanteman took delivery of 32 of the artefacts which are being loaned by the looter in May 2024 after 150 years. It earlier took delivery of some seven artefacts from the Fowler Museum in the US in February.
Speaking about the return of the treasures when the American Consul General in Ghana, Elliot Fertik brought up the topic during a courtesy visit to the Manhyia Palace on June 21, 2024, Otumfuo said he is going to push for more to be released.
“I have received some items from America. Interestingly, that was given to me forever. But the one I got from Britain is not. After three years it is subject to renewal for another three years. Can you imagine my own items that was looted from here but we had to agree for my people to know the spirit is back.”
He continued, “It is the soul of the people and I’m glad we’ve gotten it back. I will be giving a lecture in July at the British Museum and I’m looking forward to attracting more of the artefacts. But we will display it for the next three years and renew it for another three years.”
His Majesty observes that the return of the artefacts has boosted tourism at the Palace Museum as people want to certify the veracity of the confrontations between the Asantes and the British.
“Ever since we brought them, people have been visiting the Museum. They are eager to see whether these stories are real.”
Items
In all, 39 new artefacts have been returned from three museums and are currently displayed inside the Museum for the public.
The items include a 300-year-old original Mponponso sword by which every Asantehene swore the oath of office and used by the paramount chiefs of Asante to swear their oath of allegiance before the Asantehene and a seat owned by Asantehene Kofi Karikari, the tenth King of the Asante Kingdom.
They also include one gold peace pipe, a gold knife, three cast gold soul-washers’ badges, seven sections of sheet-gold ornament, one silver straining spoon, one pair of silver anklets and one section of sheet-gold ornament.
Agreement
The British and the V&A Museums are loaning the 15 and 17 treasures respectively on an initial three-year agreement. This is renewable for another three years.
The British Museum Act 1963 prohibits their museums from removing an artefact from its collections unless it is a duplicate, damaged or unfit.
Meanwhile, the ones from the Fowler Museum- seven pieces- are home on a permanent basis.
