Thirty-two of the artefacts which the British had confiscated from the Asantehene Kofi Karikari’s palace in Kumasi during the Sagrenti War of 1874 have been delivered to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, King of the Asante Kingdom.
There were seventeen items from the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) and fifteen from the British Museum that were made of gold or silver.
After their arrival in the kingdom on April 9, 2024, His Majesty accepted the royal treasures in specifically designed Belgian boxes for its exhibition at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on April 12, 2024.
They are here on a long-term loan, which is a three-year loan that can be extended for an additional three.
It follows the final signing of legal documents two weeks ago in London by Sir Mark Jones, Dr. Tristram Hunt, and the directors of the BM and V&A, together with principal negotiator Mr. Ivor Agyeman-Duah, who signed on behalf of the Manhyia Palace.
Manhyia Palace Museum’s closure
The Manhyia Palace Museum will be displaying these artefacts, together with the seven that were previously acquired from a Los Angeles museum, so, as of April 10, 2024, the museum will be closed to the public.
On May 1, following an official reopening ceremony conducted by Asantehene, it will be made public.
