The UK has returned 32 gold and silver artefacts looted from the Asante kingdom in present-day Ghana more than 150 years ago. The items, on long-term loan from the Victoria & Albert Museum and the British Museum, were stolen during 19th-century conflicts between the British and the Asante people.
The artefacts include a gold peace pipe, a sword of state, and gold badges worn by officials. They are expected to be formally received by the Asante king, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, on Friday and will go on display next month at the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi as part of his silver jubilee celebrations.
Chief negotiator Ivor Agyeman-Duah told the BBC the objects are in “safe hands” in Ghana. The loan, negotiated with the king rather than the Ghanaian government, lasts three years with an option to extend. Both museums said they were delighted to collaborate on the return.
UK law prevents national museums from permanently returning contested items, making loan deals a key method for repatriation. The return comes amid ongoing debates over artefacts like the Benin Bronzes and Elgin Marbles, with some fearing loans imply acceptance of UK ownership, while others see them as a step toward addressing colonial legacies.
