Ghana has recovered more than 130 royal artifacts looted during the colonial era, in one of the largest repatriations of cultural treasures to the West African nation.
The gold and bronze pieces, which include royal crowns, ceremonial drums, and gold weights, were handed over on Sunday to Asante King Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi, the historic capital of the Ashanti Kingdom.
The artifacts, dating from the late 19th to early 20th centuries, were returned by Britain and South Africa after more than a century abroad. Some items were repatriated by South Africa’s AngloGold Ashanti, which had acquired them on the open market, while others came from Switzerland’s Barbier-Mueller Museum. Additional contributions were made by British art historian Hermione Waterfield, known for her work on African art.
King Osei Tutu II described the return as “a homecoming of the soul,” saying the artifacts “carry the spirit of our ancestors and tell our story, our dignity and our resilience.”
Among the recovered pieces is a wooden drum believed to have been seized by British troops during the Siege of Kumasi in 1900, a key battle that led to the fall of the Ashanti Kingdom before it was incorporated into the British Empire the following year.
The Ashanti Kingdom was one of West Africa’s most powerful precolonial states, known for its wealth, gold craftsmanship, and political influence. The repatriation is part of a broader push by African countries to reclaim heritage artifacts held in Western museums and private collections.
Ghana’s government has hailed the return as a step toward restoring national pride and historical justice, joining other African nations — including Nigeria, Benin, and Ethiopia — that are pressing for the restitution of looted cultural treasures.
