KUMASI.- And museo of California today – February 8 – returned seven objects to the king of the Asante of Ghana to commemorate his silver jubilee, this being the first planned delivery of Asante treasures looted during the colonial era.
Pressure is mounting on European and American museums and institutions to return African objects stolen during the rule of former colonial powers British, French, German and Belgian.
Royal Ghanaian treasures held by the Fowler Museum, including a gold necklace, an ornamental chair and an elephant tail whip, were presented during a chieftaincy ceremony at the Manhyia Palace in the city of Kumasi in the Ashanti region. .
Royal Asante (or Ashanti) gold objects are believed to be imbued with the spirits of ancient rulers.
The Asante monarch, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who has an important ceremonial role in Ghana, declared that his return will help unite his people.
“What just happened confirms what happened so many years ago, when the British attacked us and looted our treasures,” he said. “Let us remain united to achieve peace and development in the kingdom.”
The king’s advisor, Ivor Agyeman Duah, highlighted the importance of these sacred objects. “His return home is a crucial moment of reconciliation and pride for our kingdom,” he told AFP.
The event, which took place shortly before the 150th anniversary of the Anglo-Asante War of 1874, brought together traditional chiefs, politicians and diplomats, most dressed in red and black as a symbol of mourning.
museum collection
The restored treasures had been part of the Fowler Museum collection since 1965 and will be exhibited in the Manhyia Palace Museum.
Unlike other institutions that negotiate with Ghana, the Fowler museum did not impose any conditions and left it to Ghanaian curators to decide whether they will be displayed, kept as palace treasures or used for public celebrations.
“This is a special moment for the Asante people because it strengthens the bond between us and our ancestors,” Ghanaian historian Osei-Bonsu Safo-Kantanka told AFP.
The return of these Asante treasures follows the announcement made on January 25 by the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The London museums indicated that they would lend gold and silver objects from the Asante royal court to Ghana for six years.
FUENTE: AFP
