For the first time, Ghana’s Asante King displays long-lost treasure looted by British forces in 1800s

Stephen NarteyMay 02, 2024  

Photo credit: Manhyia Palace

Ghana’s Asante king Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has unveiled the long-lost treasure of the kingdom that was plundered during colonial times by British military forces.

After a decades-long wait, the British Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum relinquished 32 gold and silver treasures that were looted during the Anglo-Asante Wars in the 19th century. Among the returned artifacts are the state sword referred to as Mpomponsuo and the gold badges of officials responsible for purifying the king’s soul.

There’s also a gold lute harp gifted by Asantehene Osei Bonsu to British diplomat Thomas Edward Bowdich during an 1817 trade agreement, according to RTE News.

Addressing the gathering during the event “Homecoming: adversity and Commemoration,” Otumfuo Osei Tutu II said the first exhibition of the artifacts at Manhyia Palace reflected the “soul of the Asante people”.