Ghana to receive Crown Jewels taken from Asante Kingdom by Britain after 150 Years: BBC
After 150 Years Ghana will receive the Crown Jewels which was taken from Asante Kingdom by the United Kingdom. This revelation was made public in a post by the BBC and sighted by Ghana Education News.
Three dozen objects, among them a gold peace pipe, are being returned to Ghana by the United Kingdom 150 years after they were taken from the Asante king’s court.
The objects, known as Ghana’s “crown jewels,” are a part of a three-year loan arrangement that the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) and the British Museum have with Ghana’s Asantehene, Otumfo Osei Tutu II.
The comeback is an attempt to right historical wrongs and promote cross-cultural understanding.
The director of the V&A, Tristram Hunt, stressed the significance of more equitably distributing artefacts looted and obtained during wartime.
He made it clear, nevertheless, that the cultural relationship does not suggest a permanent restoration of ownership to Ghana or a kind of reparation through the back door.
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Gold badges worn by officials and a sword of state are among the artefacts that were captured during the battles between the British and the Asante in the 19th century.
The Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi will showcase them in honour of the Asantehene’s silver jubilee.
The special adviser to Ghana’s minister of culture, Nana Oforiatta Ayim, emphasises the spiritual significance of the objects to the country and views the loan as a place to begin the process of healing and remembering.
It is a Loan; not a long-term repayment
The three-year loan agreements—which are renewable for a further three years—are designed to get over UK legislative constraints that forbid permanent return.
The objects will be on display to commemorate the Asantehene’s silver jubilee at the Manhyia Palace Museum.
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The V&A’s senior curator, Angus Patterson, recognised the political significance of the 19th-century act and said it was about eliminating emblems of power.
The British Museum is lending 15 objects, some from battles in 1895–1896—including a sword of state—as part of its participation in the repatriation.
Ivor Agyeman-Duah, Ghana’s lead negotiator, addressed worries about the possible loss of priceless museum exhibits and reaffirmed the determination to honour agreements and not break them.
Even while there are still requests for full reparation, these loans provide a reasonable and diplomatic way to settle old grudges and forge new bonds.
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The repatriation of these artefacts is a step towards collaboration and healing and contributes to the larger global conversation about repatriating cultural property that was stolen during colonial times.