Ghana is celebrating the return of dozens of priceless artifacts, including gold regalia, a royal chair, and a sword, looted during British colonial rule.
These treasures, considered by the Asante people to be “virtually the soul” of their culture, went on display this week in Kumasi, the seat of the Asantehene (king).
The repatriation marks the culmination of more than 50 years of negotiations.
Many of the items were taken during violent conflicts between the Asante kingdom and the British between 1821 and 1957.
They were subsequently housed in museums across the West, including London’s British Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum, and the Fowler Museum at UCLA.
This return reflects a growing trend of Western institutions re-examining their colonial legacies and returning looted artifacts to their countries of origin.
Several museums in the U.S. and Europe have agreed to return treasures taken from other African nations, with similar requests coming from Egypt and Ethiopia.
“Bringing these (back) is bringing the history to whom it belongs,” said documentary filmmaker Lawer Akunor, highlighting the cultural significance of the returned artifacts.
While some of the items are permanent returns, most are currently on loan. Legal restrictions in Britain prevent museums from permanently disposing of many pieces in their collections.
The British Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum loaned 32 objects for this exhibition, with the possibility of extending the loan for another three years.
The return is seen as a positive step towards reconciliation. “We acknowledge the very painful history surrounding the acquisition of these objects,” said V&A Director Tristram Hunt.
The exhibition has sparked a sense of cultural renewal in Ghana.
Sculptor Gabriel Bekoe expressed his hope that seeing these artifacts will “help me know what I used to be and that will influence the ideas and concepts I build afterward.”
This repatriation is not an isolated incident.
Last month, Cambridge University announced the return of four spears to an Australian indigenous community, highlighting a growing commitment to addressing the legacies of colonialism.
