Restitution: Manhyia Palace Museum Targets 8 Asante Objects for Return by Early 2027

The Manhyia Palace is working to secure the permanent return of the first eight of 56 Asante objects held by the Wellcome Collection in London.

The process is expected to conclude by the end of 2026.

The objects were identified and authenticated over the last two years at the collection’s National Collection Centre in Swindon, England.

“We have worked with the Wellcome Collection in London, a major trust established in memory of another famous British millionaire, scientist and art collector, Henry Wellcome,” said Ivor Agyeman-Duah, Director of the Manhyia Palace Museum.

“He also purchased looted objects from the 19th century.”

According to Agyeman-Duah, the identification and authentication exercise has been completed, paving the way for the restitution request.

A formal request for their return is scheduled for submission by the end of 2026, he announced at the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Art Awards on May 13, 2026.

“This should be at the end of this year and the first return early next year,” he said.

The Wellcome Collection was established in memory of Henry Wellcome, a scientist and collector who acquired a range of historical and ethnographic materials during the 19th century, including items taken from the Asante Kingdom.

The move forms part of a broader restitution push by Manhyia Palace to recover Asante regalia and cultural objects taken during the Anglo-Asante wars and later dispersed to museums and private collections abroad.

Story by Hajara Fuseini

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