Gold neck discs, a sword, a royal chair and dozens of other treasures looted during British colonial rule went on display in Ghana this week for the first time since its historic return.
People traveled from across the West African country to see the repatriated loot in the city of Kumasi, the seat of Asante King Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, known as the Asantehene.
“The items that came back are practically the soul of the people of Asante,” the monarch said at the exhibition, which marks his silver jubilee.
The gold badges were looted during the 1821-1957 British colonization of what is now Ghana, much of them taken during violent battles with the Asante kingdom and placed in museums.
London's British and Victoria & Albert museums, and the University of California's Fowler Museum, sent the artifacts back earlier this year — part of a growing movement by Western institutions to re-examine colonial legacies.
Negotiations to return the items took more than 50 years, the Asantehene said.
Other museums in the US and Europe have agreed to return treasures taken from the Kingdom of Benin, in present-day Nigeria, and have received requests for their return from other countries on the continent, including Egypt and Ethiopia.
Most of the 42 items on display at the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi were taken during five battles between the Asante Kingdom and the United Kingdom, known as the Anglo Asante wars. Many were looted directly from the Asante palace.
Some of the UK's major national museums are prohibited by law from handing over or disposing of most of their collections. Therefore, 32 objects from the British Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) are in Ghana on loan.
The V&A has loaned 17 items to the Manhyia museum for three years, with the possibility of renewal for a further three years. Objects include a gold peace pipe and gold discs used during royal ceremonies.
Source: CNN Brasil

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