On Thursday, February 8, the Asantehene Osei Tutu II will receive the first batch of seven treasures (most of which are gold) looted during the third Anglo-Asante War of 1874.
The artifacts arrived in Ghana via a United Airlines flight and will be permanently presented to the Asantehene during the commencement durbar marking the 150 years commemoration of the War at Dwaberem, Manhyia Palace.
A delegation of three, led by the Director of the Fowler Museum of the University of California, Los Angeles (where the objects have been housed for nearly 60 years), Dr. Silvia Forni, facilitated the return. The delegation also includes Dr. Rachel Raynor, the Director of Registration and Collections, and Dr. Erica Jones, the Curator of the Africa Department. Additionally, Professor Kwesi Ampene, an external affiliate to the Museum and Chair of the Music Department at Tufts University, is part of the delegation.
Background: Return of Ghana’s Looted Treasures (Gold) by Britain
The UK is sending back treasures most of them Gold, it looted 150 years ago from Ghana – but ONLY ON LAON
video source: @dwnews
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The returned objects were acquired by the Museum in 1965 from the Wellcome Trust, a prominent foundation that operates the Wellcome Collection museum and library in Britain. The Trust is dedicated to the memory of Sir Henry Wellcome, a renowned British-American art collector and millionaire of his era.
Negotiations between the Museum and the Manhyia Palace have been ongoing for several years, with Dr. Erica Jones, the senior Africa curator, visiting and meeting with the Asantehene last year. The process gained momentum when permission for the objects to leave California under their CITIES PERMIT was granted in December, facilitating their return to Ghana.
