After 150 years, 39 of the Asante royal regalia and objects looted by British troops during the third Anglo-Asante war of 1874 popularly known as Sagrenti War, are due to return to the Asantehene in Kumasi in February and April, this year, Graphic Online can reveal.

The first batch of seven treasures is expected from the Fowler Museum of the University of California in Los Angeles in February, while the second batch of 32 will arrive from two leading cultural institutions in the United Kingdom- the British Museum the Victoria & Albert (V&A) Museum - in April.

A joint statement from the museums in London is expected to announce the return of the collections.

The move follows the approval by trustees of the British and V&A Museums for the treasures to be repatriated to their original home in Kumasi, Graphic Online understands.

The treasures will form part of an exhibition planned to celebrate the Silver Jubilee enthronement of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, as well as commemorating the 150th anniversary of the third Anglo-Asante War and the centenary of the return of the Asantehene Prempeh I from exile in the Seychelles.

Specifications

Graphic Online’s Kwame Asare Boadu reports from Kumasi that 15 of the returning collections from Britain are from the British Museum while 17 are from the V&A Museum.

The collections, which range from the original sacred Mponponsuo state sword dating back to 300 years to other ornaments of silver and gold, come under two separate agreements.

The Mponponsuo sword is what all Asantehenes traditionally swore their oath of office and paramount chiefs their allegiance to the Asantehenes.

The returning Mponponsuo sword is believed to be the original, while the one in use today in Kumasi was created after 1900.

Those coming from the British Museum also include a small gold ornament in the form of a lute-harp (sankuo) given by the Asantehene Osei Bonsu to the British trade diplomat, TE Bowdich in 1817 even as many of what were looted directly from the palace(s) in Kumasi formed part of the regalia of respective Asantehenes, Kofi Karikari (1837-1884) and Prempeh I (1870-1931).

Those from the V&A Museum include 1 gold peace pipe, 3 cast gold soul-washers’ badges, 7 sections of sheet-gold ornament, 1 silver straining spoon, 1 pair of silver anklets, 1 section of sheet-gold ornament and 1 cast gold soul-washer’s badge.

Fowler Museum

The objects in the Fowler Museum got to the United States from Britain and were later acquired by the museum through the Wellcome Trust in 1965.

This permanent return follows the university’s decision that all looted objects should be returned to the countries of their origins.

Display of items

Items of gold and silver regalia associated with the Asante royal court will be displayed in Kumasi later this year as part of a long-term loan commitment by the British Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum. Many of these items will be seen in Ghana for the first time in 150 years.”

The items will be at the Manhiya Palace Museum which is located within the palace complex of the Asantehene.

The set of long-term objects could possibly be in Kumasi for six years.

A profit-making museum, the Manhyia Palace Museum with an annual visitation number of around 80,000, is expected to dramatically increase in revenue numbers.