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The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has intensified efforts to negotiate the potential repatriation of Ashanti regalia items taken from Kumasi by the British army during the Ashanti war against the British in 1874, known as the Battle of Amoaful.
The British Museum currently houses a collection of treasures, including those seized from the palace of the Asantehene during the War of 1874. Besides the return of the valuables, Otumfuo Osei Tutu also sought opportunities for contemporary cultural collaboration, particularly in the management and technical help of the Manhyia Palace Museum.
Recently, Otumfuo engaged in discussions with British Museum leadership in London to address this issue.
Regarding the technical aspects of the negotiations, a co-advisor to the Asantehene, Ivor Agyeman-Duah, who specializes in historical and museum matters, revealed that the British Museum agreed to evaluate and develop a technical framework proposed by the Asantehene’s advisors.
Another advisor involved in the technical discussions is Malcolm McLeod, a former Keeper of Ethnography at the museum and previously a Professor of History and Vice Principal of the University of Glasgow.
Mr. Agyeman-Duah further explained that the parties agreed to review an expired memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Manhyia Palace and the British Museum to reach a loan agreement for some items to be temporarily sent to Kumasi in time for the Asantehene’s silver jubilee celebration next year.
During his visit to the British Museum, the Director, Dr. Hartwig Fischer, along with the Deputy Director, Dr. Jonathan Williams, the Head of the Africa Department, Sam Nixon, and the Curator, Julie Hudson, warmly welcomed the Asantehene and provided him with a private tour of the Luxury and Power-Persia to Greece exhibition, which centered on the Greco-Persian Wars.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu emphasized that the ongoing restructuring and expansion of the Manhyia Palace Museum aimed to enhance its profitability. He acknowledged that, like other significant museums, the occasional inclusion of external collections was necessary to bolster patronage and growth, even considering Britain’s antiquity laws.
Dr. Fischer, who played a pivotal role in establishing the Manhyia Palace Museum in 1994, assured the Asantehene that the British Museum would work towards fulfilling his wishes through appropriate legal frameworks.
The technical discussions, which began in London last week, will also involve visits to the Manhyia Palace Museum, object identification at the British Museum for loan agreements, and consideration of other legal implications, as the British Museum Act prohibits permanent removal of items from its collection.
Mr. Agyeman-Duah, representing the Manhyia Palace, is scheduled to continue discussions with Dr. Tristram Hunt, the Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), a renowned art and design institution in London. A bilateral agreement between the parties mentioned above will be reached before February 2024.
The V&A, which also possesses a collection of Asante regalia, is developing a program concept for February 2024 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the 1874 Anglo-Asante War. This commemoration will involve collaborative efforts between Ghanaian and British artists and will take place in London.
Next year marks the 100th anniversary of Asantehene Agyeman Prempeh’s return from exile in Seychelles, where he spent 27 years.
In the V&A museum’s annual evaluation for 2021–2022, Dr. Hunt hinted at the potential return of Asante regalia to Ghana.
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Source: Omanghana.com
