The British Museum has agreed to keep 15 Asante royal regalia artefacts in Ghana for a further three years, extending their loan to the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi until April 2030.
The renewed cultural agreement between the London museum and Manhyia Palace Museum was announced after British Museum Director Dr Nicholas Cullinan toured the new Manhyia museum complex as a guest of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
The extension will begin when the original three-year loan agreement expires in April 2027.
The 15 British Museum objects are currently displayed in Kumasi as part of the Homecoming exhibition. They are shown alongside 17 Asante items from the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London and seven artefacts permanently returned by California’s Fowler Museum.
The joint loan was first agreed in January 2024 and the exhibition opened in May 2024 during the Asantehene’s silver jubilee. In total, 32 royal court treasures were brought back to Ghana after spending roughly 150 years abroad.
Sacred royal objects on display
Many of the gold and silver objects were taken by British forces from royal palaces in Kumasi during the 1873–1874 and 1895–1896 Anglo-Asante conflicts. The regalia had belonged to Asantehene Kofi Karikari and Asantehene Prempeh I.
UK legislation prevents the British Museum and the V&A from permanently removing objects from their collections. The Asante royal regalia therefore returned to Kumasi through renewable three-year loan arrangements.
Among the British Museum’s 15 objects is the Mpomponsuo sword of state, which is 300 years old. The collection also includes a cast-gold lute-harp ornament, known as a sankuo, presented by Asantehene Osei Bonsu to British envoy Thomas Bowdich in 1817.
The V&A’s contribution includes 17 objects, among them a ceremonial gold peace pipe, or abua, four cast-gold soulwashers’ badges known as akrafokonmu, beaten gold throne ornaments, a cast-gold eagle and a gold ring.
Visitor numbers increase
A joint partnership announcement said visitor numbers at the Kumasi museum had doubled over the previous two years, while attendance by school groups had nearly quadrupled.
The Asantehene highlighted the importance of ensuring that the objects remain accessible to people in Ghana, particularly children. He said they provide an opportunity to learn about the skill of their ancestors and the history of their culture.
Dr Cullinan said the renewed agreement would include joint research and knowledge exchange as well as the loans of the objects.
Manhyia Palace Museum Director Ivor Agyeman-Duah said the new Manhyia Arts and Culture Museum is scheduled to open on January 8, 2027.
The V&A is also expected to extend its loan of the 17 Asante artefacts through its Renewable Cultural Partnership.
