The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, is set to receive 28 additional gold ornaments and regalia this weekend during a mini durbar at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi. The artifacts, created in the 19th century by royal artisans of the Asante Court, will be presented as part of the 100th anniversary celebration of the return of his grand-uncle, Nana Agyeman Prempeh I, from exile in the Seychelles.
The ceremony will also honor the visiting President of the Republic of Seychelles, His Excellency Wavel Ramkalawan.
Originally part of the African Gold Collection at AngloGold Ashanti in South Africa, the artifacts’ return was secured following direct intervention by the Asantehene earlier this year.
These historical items, which include linguist staffs, swords, palace security locks, regalia, gold weights, and symbolic gold ornaments, were initially housed in the Gold of Africa Museum in Cape Town. They were later transferred to the Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria. After an export permit was approved by South Africa’s Reserve Bank three weeks ago, the objects were cleared for their return to Kumasi.
Ivor Agyeman-Duah, historian and Associate Director of the Manhyia Palace Museum, authenticated the acquisition and coordinated the process alongside Edward Michael Ennin, a member of AngloGold Ashanti’s Ghana Board and former MP for Obuasi.
Describing the significance of the artifacts, Mr. Agyeman-Duah highlighted that they symbolize Asante court governance and heritage, with items such as gold-cast crocodiles and other objects reflecting the culture’s rich symbolism.
These objects were part of a collection acquired in 1922 by Swiss collector Joseph Mueller, later incorporated into the Barbier-Mueller Museum in Geneva. In 2000, AngloGold Ashanti purchased the collection, which included 350 of the finest examples of West African goldsmithing, housing them in Cape Town before relocating them to Pretoria.
The objects will now be displayed in a newly constructed contemporary art gallery at the Manhyia Palace Museum.
Lekgetho Mokola, a fellow of Yale University’s Director’s Forum and former Director of the Javett Art Centre, lauded the move as a landmark in Africa’s efforts to reclaim its cultural heritage.
“Africa is now taking the lead in restitution within its territories to address its colonial legacies. Possibly, the rest of the restitution work beyond our borders will increase in pace to return what belongs to the people of this continent,” Mokola remarked.
This return brings the total number of restituted and loaned cultural objects received by the Manhyia Palace this year to 67.
In February, the Fowler Museum at UCLA returned seven looted items from the 1874 Anglo-Asante War, followed in March by the return of 32 objects from The British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
