Otumfuo seeks to retain stolen treasures loaned to Manhyia by a UK museum

Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II

Following a successful negotiation for a three-year loan of ancient gold treasures from the British Museum and the V&A, the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II is now seeking to make this temporary repatriation permanent.

This is according to a report from the UK Telegraph which claims that Asantehene is taking action, hoping for a future change to British laws that currently prohibit museums from permanently returning artefacts abroad.

These items, part of the royal insignia taken during the 19th century by British forces, were ceremoniously presented in Kumasi, the seat of Asanteman, on May 1.

According to the report, the British Conservative Party has ruled out such changes, leaving the Labor Party as the potential facilitator of the legal amendments needed for Asante gold to remain in Ghana.

The treasures, which include a gold sword for swearing to chiefs and gold pendants for the purification of the Asante king’s soul, remain officially the property of British institutions.

However, Manhyia Palace and the Asantehene are optimistic that the loan period can be extended long enough for legal reforms to take place, allowing the artifacts to stay.

Ivor Agyeman-Duah, writer, academic and director of the Asante king’s museum inside Manhyia Palace, has expressed the community’s desire for the artifacts to be returned permanently, stating that their spiritual significance justifies Otumfuo keeping them.

The loan deal is seen as the initial step in a wider plan to repatriate more Asante materials from the V&A and the British Museum. Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A and former Labor MP, supports reform of the British Museum Act 1963 and the National Heritage Act 1983, which currently restrict the repatriation of museum collections.

The Asantehene, the occupant of the Golden Stool, has considerable influence and has been actively involved in the recovery of the insignia since May 2023, ahead of the 150th anniversary of their seizure.

The British Museum has hinted at “future projects” with the Asante, but the current UK government maintains its stance against altering the laws governing national museum collections.

According to the report, this impasse has affected several repatriation efforts, including those of the Benin bronzes, the Ethiopian sacred tablets, and the Elgin marbles.

While some UK politicians, including Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer, have been open to returning the Elgin Marbles, the party has yet to formalize a policy on the matter.

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