Royal Artillery Under Fire for Denying Access to Looted Asante Golden Ram's Head
The Royal Artillery is facing mounting criticism after it emerged that the regiment is refusing public access to an "extraordinary object" looted by the British army in the 19th century from the Asante people in modern-day Ghana. This glistening golden ram's head, arguably one of the most impressive spoils of the Anglo-Asante wars, remains concealed within the officers' mess at their barracks in Larkhill, Wiltshire.
Historical Context of the Looted Artefact
The artefact was pillaged during the British army's 1874 raid on the sprawling old royal palace in Kumasi, the capital of the Asante state. Soldiers subsequently set fire to the city and blew up the palace. In 1896, the British returned and looted the rebuilt palace, with their commander later boasting, "I had shown the power of England." The spoils from these conflicts were sold and dispersed among private and public collections, including institutions like the Victoria & Albert Museum and the British Museum.
In a historic move in 2024, these museums agreed to return 32 pieces of gold court regalia to the Manhyia Palace Museum in Ghana, albeit only on a long-term loan basis. However, the golden ram's head, measuring approximately 19cm in width with beautifully-cast spiralling horns, was not included in this restitution. Contemporary newspaper reports from 1874, such as the Shipping and Mercantile Gazette, hailed it as "the best trophy" and "very valuable."
Denial of Access and Security Concerns
Barnaby Phillips, a former BBC correspondent with extensive experience reporting from Africa, was taken aback when his request to view the ram's head for research on his forthcoming book was rejected on security grounds. He received a curt and categorical letter from the Royal Artillery's regimental secretary, stating that the regiment was "unable to agree" to his request due to a long-standing policy, primarily on security and insurance reasons, not to allow public access to items in their private collection.
Phillips remarked, "It's an army institution holding the spoils of war, but they say it's not safe to show it to me. That's somewhat ironic." He further highlighted that the ram's head is displayed on a stand commissioned in 1875, which depicts three black boys in loincloths as if holding the object aloft, with an engraved base commemorating the battles and capture of Kumasi. Phillips described this stand as transforming the artefact into a trophy and cementing its ceremonial role, while also being "in shockingly bad taste" from a modern perspective.
Efforts for Negotiation and Return
Ivor Agyeman-Duah, a Kumasi-born historian, diplomat, and director of the Manhyia Palace Museum, has been tasked by the Asante king, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, with negotiating the return of Asante regalia from British institutions. Agyeman-Duah expressed interest in engaging with the Royal Artillery, stating, "We are interested in negotiating with the Royal Artillery. I hope to go to the officer's mess when I'm next in England and I shall be writing to them. This piece is iconic evidence of Asante prowess over two centuries."
The Anglo-Asante wars, which ended in 1901 with the formal annexation of Asante territory into the Gold Coast British crown colony, were driven partly by Britain's interests in West Africa's natural resources. The Asante people resisted this, viewing gold objects like the ram's head as imbued with the spirits of their ancestors. British campaigns were also justified by efforts to end slavery at that time.
Additional Controversies and Calls for Transparency
Phillips noted further embarrassment for the Royal Artillery regarding another looted piece in the same mess: a magnificent silver cross taken from a church during the controversial 1868 military expedition to Abyssinia by the same soldier, William Knox, who looted the ram's head. Phillips argued, "Two of the most extraordinary objects that were looted by the British army are in this mess and nobody can see them, except for the regiment's invited guests."
He advocated for such important objects to be loaned to public museums rather than being restricted to a select few. Phillips's research, featured in his forthcoming book The African Kingdom of Gold: Britain and the Asante Treasure, includes a quote from an unnamed director of a major national museum who visited the objects at Larkhill: "When you see those things, and you realise no one else can see them, and they will never leave this place, it's like a punch in the stomach."
An army spokesperson responded, "Whilst we don't comment on individual cases, access to military locations is controlled for security, operational and safety reasons." This stance continues to fuel debates over colonial restitution and the ethical display of looted cultural heritage.
