Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Ghanaian Times
Published on 2024-04-18 06:28:02
The British Museum (BM) and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) of the United Kingdom have returned 32 royal objects to Ghana that were taken from the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi during the Anglo-Asante Wars of the 19th century. These items, including gold and silver regalia associated with the Asante Royal Court, were seized following the Sargrenti War of 1874. The British Museum and V&A have committed to a long-term loan agreement to display these items at the Palace Museum in Ghana.
The 150-year-old items, primarily golden royal regalia, are on loan for an initial three years and can be renewed for another three years. There are 15 items from the BM and 17 from the V&A. The official documentation for the return of these objects was finalized in London two weeks ago by the Directors of the BM and V&A, Sir Mark Jones and Dr. Tristram Hunt, along with Chief Negotiator Mr. Ivor Agyeman-Duah, who represented and signed on behalf of the Manhyia Palace.
The return of the royal objects coincides with the silver jubilee celebration of the enthronement of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who initiated negotiations in May 2023. This return is also connected to the 150th commemoration of last February and the upcoming centenary of the return of Asantehene Prempeh I from exile in Seychelles.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II will receive the objects and specially designed Belgian cases in Kumasi. The Manhyia Palace Museum will be closed for three weeks for installation works and encasing of over 40 returned objects, including seven permanently released by the Fowler Museum of the University of California, Los Angeles. These objects will be part of an international exhibition titled “Homecoming- Adversity and Commemoration.”
The exhibition is a collaboration between British-BM and V&A curators, Ghanaian Foundation for Contemporary Art curators, Manhyia Palace, and partners such as Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, British Airways, British High Commission, Accra, Fidelity Bank, and the Otumfuo Foundation. The opening on May 1, 2024, will be attended by directors, curators, and trustees of the BM and V&A, as well as journalists from various media outlets and government officials.
The occasion will also feature the launch of two major books, one on the history of museology in Asante and another on contemporary reflections on images of Ghana and cultural property ownership. Additionally, the Asantehene will give a public lecture on Asante culture and heritage at the BM in London in July 2024. The event will be introduced by world-leading philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah of New York University, who is the current President of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
In conclusion, the return of these royal objects marks a significant moment in the history of cultural heritage preservation and demonstrates a renewed commitment to international cooperation and mutual understanding.
Read the original article on Ghanaian Times
