UK to loan back looted ‘crown jewels’ from Ghana

The Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) will lend 17 items, while the British Museum will send 15 pieces under the three-year loan deals – with an option to extend for the same amount of time, the BBC has reported.

The items will reportedly go on display at the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi, the capital of the Asante region, to celebrate the Asantehene’s silver jubilee.

Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A, said the gold items taken from the court of the Asante King are the equivalent of “our Crown Jewels”.

The items to be loaned were mostly taken during wars in the 19th century between the UK and the Asante, including a sword of state, gold badges worn by officials charged with cleansing the soul of the king, and a gold peace pipe, the BBC said.

There is also reportedly a ceremonial cap decorated with gold ornaments and worn by senior courtiers at coronations and other major festivals.

Mr Hunt said: “(When museums hold) objects with origins in war and looting in military campaigns, we have a responsibility to the countries of origin to think about how we can share those more fairly today.

“It doesn’t seem to me that all of our museums will fall down if we build up these kind of partnerships and exchanges.”

Although, Mr Hunt did suggest the loan is not a permanent return of ownership to Ghana, telling the BBC that the new cultural partnership “is not restitution by the back door”.

The loan agreements are not with the Ghanaian government but with Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the current Asante King known as the Asantehene – who attended the Coronation of King Charles last year, the BBC reported.