Royal artifacts on display at the renovated Manhyia Palace Museum

The Manhyia Palace Museum, renovated under the auspices of the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has been reopened to the public.

There are some royal artifacts looted about 150 years ago by the colonial masters of the Asante Kingdom, including a ceremonial cap decorated with gold ornaments known as Mpomponsuo, a state sword, three cast gold soulwashing insignia, and a symbol of the golden peace pipe, which were taken from the kingdom during the Anlo-Asante wars, including the infamous Sagrenti War of 1874.

Also on display are seven sections of gold foil ornaments, a silver spoon, a pair of silver anklets and a section of gold foil ornaments.

A gold lute harp presented by the Asantehene Osei Bonsu to British diplomat Thomas Edward Bowdich during an 1817 trade treaty is on display.

Among the artifacts, 15 of them were returned by the British Museum (BM) and 17 by the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A).

Speaking at the return home of the looted artefacts, Otumfuo Osei Tutu indicated that the return of the items was a restoration of the Asante spirit.

“The objects that returned are practically the soul of the Asante people. Not everyone has returned. But what we have here embodies the soul of Asante. Today is a day for the Asantes and for the black African continent. The spirit that we bore and shared is back with us,” he said.

There are realistic mannequins of the Asantehenes and Asantehemaas (queen mothers) of the 20th and 21st centuries, with narratives of the legacy of the Asante Kingdom, including its history with the British Empire.

Last Wednesday’s event was part of the celebrations of the 25th anniversary of Asantehene’s ascension to the Golden Stool as the 16th occupant.

In 1995, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, during his Silver Jubilee, inaugurated the museum that was originally the first Manhyia Palace, built by the British for Asantehene Nana Prempeh I in 1925, to replace the royal palace they destroyed during the Yaa Asantewaa War in 1900. .

Nana Prempeh I accepted it only after paying the full cost.

According to the director of the Manhyia Palace Museum and chief negotiator for the Asantehene, Ivor Agyeman-Duah, there were international movements underway to repatriate cultural artifacts to their rightful origins.

“Fifty years since Asantehene Otumfuo Opoku Ware II first requested the return of British Museum items in 1974, Homecoming renews our connections with Britain and the United States, in a spirit of progress and cooperation,” he said.

The Fowler Museum personally returned the treasures to the Asantehene on February 8. They include a royal stool ornament from the private collection of Asantehene Kofi Karikari, who ruled during the sack of Kumasi.

“Although British Museum laws prohibit the permanent removal of objects, thanks to the mutually beneficial cooperation between Otumfuos Opoku-Ware II and Osei Tutu II, and the British Museum and the V&A, objects removed 150 years ago are located in three museums . Now we hope for more dialogue.”

BY KINGSLEY E.HOPE, KUMASI