South African Gold Firm Returns British-Looted Asante Artefacts
South African-based Anglogold Ashanti has returned 28 Asante gold ornaments and regalia to Ghana.
These artefacts are part of Asante treasures looted by the British during the 1874 Sagrenti War and will be officially handed over to the Kingdom this weekend.
This follows the return of 39 of such regalia from the Fowler Museum, the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum earlier this year.
The symbolic artefacts from South Africa include linguist staff, swords, palace security locks, rings, necklaces, and proverbial gold-weights depicting crocodiles and gold scandals.
Journey After Loot
The artefacts, produced over a century ago, following the loot were acquired in 1922 by Swiss art collector Joseph Mueller.
They later became part of the Barbier-Mueller Museum in Geneva. In 2000, AngloGold Ashanti purchased the Barbier-Mueller Collection, which showcased exceptional West African goldsmithery, and housed it at the Gold of Africa Museum in Cape Town.
The artefacts were later transferred to the Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria.
According to Historian and Associate Director of the Manhyia Palace Museum, Ivor Agyeman-Duah, the items form part of the African Gold collection of AngloGold Ashanti in South Africa.
Restitution Deal
“Earlier this year, the Asantehene personally intervened with AngloGold Ashanti (formerly Ashanti Goldfields) to facilitate the restitution of these objects. The agreement followed approval of an export permit granted three weeks ago by the Reserve Bank of South Africa,” he disclosed in a statement issued on November 20, adding that cultural milestone was achieved with the support of Edward Michael Ennin, a member of AngloGold Ashanti’s Ghana Board and former Member of Parliament for Obuasi.
The items will be officially handed over to Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace on November 23 during a durbar to mark the 100th anniversary of the return of Sir Agyemang Prempeh I, the 13th Asantehene, from exile.
After that, the 28 artefacts will be housed in a contemporary art gallery recently added to the Manhyia Palace Museum by the Asantehene, expanding the museum’s cultural offerings and historical significance.
Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini
