Otumfuo, British Museum, confer on return of Asante artefacts taken away by the British

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the British Museum are conferring on the return of some prized Asante artefacts taken away by the British occupying force in the 19th and 20th centuries.

British Between 1823 and 1901, there were a series of conflicts between the Asante Empire of the Gold Coast (now Ghana), and the invading British Empire.

The clashes were triggered by Britain's bid to establish a strong presence in the Gold Coast, and will, therefore, do anything possible to crash the Asante resistance.

It is estimated that some five major wars were fought within this period – the first Anglo-Asante War took place between 1823 and 1831, the second in 1863, the third between 1873 and 1874, the fourth between 1895 and 1896, and the fifth and final one in 1900.

These wars left in their wake many casualties, destruction of property, exiles and the eventual suppression of the Asante Empire.

Despite its enduring and active resistance, the Empire became a British protectorate on January 01, 1902.

It is worth mentioning that the third and fifth Anglo-Asante Wars, known as the Sagrenti War and Yaa Asantewaa War, respectively, dealt a big blow to the Empire as some of its treasured artefacts were captured by the invading British forces.

Some of those artefacts and collections could now be found in museums worldwide, including the British Museum, Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum, European museums and the American Museum of Natural History.

According to 'The Art Newspaper', an international journal covering the art world, the greatest part of the V&A's Asante collection comprised 13 pieces of looted Asante court regalia.

“These were sold by the British army through the London crown jeweler, Garrard,” it reports.

Given the cultural, spiritual and symbolic significance of how the restitution of these ancient artefacts could have on their place of origin, the Manhyia Palace, the seat of the Asantehene, has renewed efforts at getting these precious items back to their roots.

The BBC reports that the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, on his recent visit to the United Kingdom (UK) for the commemoration of King Charles III, asked the British Museum to return gold items in its collection to his country.

“The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, recently met the Museum’s Director, Dr Hartwig Fischer, for discussions.

“The Museum’s collection includes works taken from the Asante Palace in Kumasi during the war with the British of 1874.

“The British Museum told the BBC it is “exploring the possibility of lending items” to Ghana.

Although international attention is now focused on the restitution of Benin bronzes to Nigeria from European and American collections, items from the Asante Kingdom are arguably of equal significance.

The Government of Ghana, in pursuance of enriching the cultural heritage of the people, has set up a Restitution Committee to look at the return of items taken from the Asante Palace which are now in collections around the world.

Nana Ofori Atta Ayim, who sits on that committee says; “These objects are largely sacred ones and their return is about more than just restitution. It is also about reparation and repair, for the places they were taken from, but also those who did the taking.”

In her article: “The Restitution of Ancient Artefacts”, Sarah Irving of the Department of Classics and Ancient History, University of Warwick, examines the problems surrounding the restitution of ancient artefacts to their place of origin.

The article explores the importance of the legal framework and the ethical considerations to be taken into account in relation to repatriation and the ownership of disputed antiquities.

“Legally acquired artefacts, along with looted goods and illegal exports, often find their way into private and public collections, and a vast number of artefacts are located in places where they did not originate.

“This leads to unrecorded finds, the contexts of which are lost to humanity. The damage incurred from these unrecorded removals of artefacts from their original location is irreversible. Nonetheless it is important that this type of find be returned to its legitimate owner, preserved and displayed in an appropriate environment,” she writes.

In recent times, the British Museum has come under intense pressure to return items in its collection to their countries of origin.

A spokeswoman for the British Museum told the BBC: “Our Director and Deputy Director were pleased to welcome His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II (the Asantehene) to the museum during his visit to the UK for the Coronation of King Charles III.”

She added that the British Museum “is exploring the possibility of lending items from the collection to mark the 150th anniversary of the end of the third Anglo-Asante war, as well as to support celebrations for the Asantehene’s Silver Jubilee next year”.

In 2022, Otumfuo Osei Tutu met with Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A, in Ghana, during which they discussed the objects taken from his predecessors that were in the museum.

The journey ostensibly seems difficult given the restrictive laws associated with the restitution of artefacts.

Some of the UK’s most renowned institutions, including the British Museum, are prevented by law from making a decision regarding the restitution of ancient artefacts.

The British Museum Act of 1963, for instance, bans the Museum from the “disposal of objects” except in very specific circumstances.

It is however free to loan items, if it believes the items will not be damaged.

Most UK national museums are not normally able to deaccession because of restrictions incorporated in the 1983 National Heritage Act.

With next year's 40th anniversary of the Act, critics would like to see a debate over deaccessioning.

While the importance of museums is well understood, museums such as the British Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and other European and North American Museums have come under scrutiny for some of their collections.

GNA