130 More British-looted Asante Regalia Return Home

The Asante Kingdom has received 130 more artefacts which were looted by the British in wars in the 1900s.

These are gold and bronze items which reflect governance systems as well as the socio-economic importance of the Kingdom, some of which are as old as 160 years.

One hundred and ten of these were returned by South African-based AngloGold Ashanti, while 25 came from 86-year-old Hermione Waterfield of Britain’s art historians and curators.

AngloGold Artefacts
A statement issued by the Manhyia Museum, where the artefacts have been displayed, said AngloGold purchased its returned collection from the original collection of the Barbier-Muller Museum in Geneva through its founding collector, Josef Muller, from 1904.

The 110 new pieces bring to 140 the restituted artefacts from the original collection of the Barbier-Muller Museum.

Waterfield
The objects from the British curator according to the Historian and Director of the Manhyia Palace Museum, Ivor Agyeman-Duah, include 46- inch wooden fontomfrom drum that were part of the loot from the Palace by British Colonial Officer Sir Cecil Hamilton Armitage who led the advance force in the siege of Kumasi in 1900 or what became the Yaa Asantewaa War and later became British Colonial Governor of The Gambia.
Waterfield inherited these drums and owned fourteen other gold weights purchased between 1967 and 1973, including from Christie’s auction, a famous art auction house in London.

Of Waterfield’s objects is the famous brass self-portrait of Timonthy Garrand on his motorbike in Kumasi by Yaw Amankwa in 1980.

Agyeman-Duah, who last October signed the deaccession papers with Waterfield in London, says among other great works that will be on display at the palace museum will include those of Ghanaian and African masters, Ablade Glover, El Anatsui, Ato Delaquis, Nee-Owoo, Anthony Kwame Akoto, Vincent Koffi and Edwin Kwasi Bodjawah.

Significance
According to Agyeman-Duah, the restitution of metal or goldsmith arts has “helped shape our understanding not just of gold and bronze collecting but the heritage of their manufacturing processes”.

Story by Hajara Fuseini

Click to read more: https://opemsuo.com/author/hajara-fuseini/