The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has received 130 gold and bronze artefacts from the United Kingdom and South Africa, marking a significant moment in the restitution of Asante cultural heritage.
The artefacts, which include royal regalia, drums, and ceremonial gold weights dating back to the 1870s, were either looted during the colonial era or later acquired on the open market. Twenty-five of the items were donated by British art historian Hermione Waterfield, while the rest came from South African mining company AngloGold Ashanti.
At a ceremony held at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, AngloGold Ashanti officials described the donation as an act of cultural respect and reconciliation. The company has faced tensions in the Ashanti Region over alleged exploitation of resources without corresponding development.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II expressed gratitude to AngloGold Ashanti for voluntarily returning the artefacts, describing the gesture as one of “goodwill and respect for the source and legacy of the Asante Kingdom.”
According to Manhyia Palace Museum Director, Ivor Agyeman-Duah, Ms. Waterfield’s contribution included a wooden drum looted during the 1900 siege of Kumasi by British forces. Waterfield, a former Christie’s curator and a long-time advocate for African art restitution, helped establish a department dedicated to tribal art in the 1970s.
The return follows growing global efforts to repatriate looted African artefacts. In 2024, 32 Asante artefacts went on display at the Manhyia Palace Museum under a three-year loan agreement with the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Museum. Similarly, in 2022, Germany returned Benin bronzes to Nigeria as part of efforts to confront its colonial past.