On January 25, 2024, the Manhyia Palace Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and the British Museum unveiled plans for a significant cultural collaboration. The V&A and the British Museum will be lending gold and silver regalia associated with the Asante royal court to the Palace Museum in Kumasi.
This long-term loan, initiated after a visit to London by the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, marks the first time in 150 years that many of these items will be exhibited in Ghana.
The collaboration, facilitated by the Asantehene’s technical advisors, Ghanaian historian Ivor Agyeman-Duah and British professor of African and Asante history Malcolm McLeod, culminated in separate agreements to loan the objects to the Manhyia Palace Museum. The artifacts will be part of an exhibition commemorating the 2024 Silver Jubilee of Asantehene Osei Tutu II, the 150th anniversary of the 1873-4 Anglo-Asante war, and the 100th anniversary of the return of Asantehene Prempeh I from exile.
These culturally, historically, and spiritually significant items hold ties to British colonial history, having been looted during the 19th-century Anglo-Asante wars. Many were forcibly taken or sold at auction, eventually dispersed among museums and private collectors worldwide, including the British Museum and the V&A.
The V&A is contributing seventeen items, including Asante Royal regalia acquired in 1874, as well as additional gold regalia purchased in subsequent years. The British Museum’s selection of fifteen objects encompasses a variety of regalia associated with the 19th-century Anglo-Asante wars.
Since the late 17th century, gold has been integral to Asante identity, spirituality, and economic stability. The regalia, symbolizing Asante royal government, adorns the throne, court officials, and the Asantehene during royal ceremonies. These objects, looted in 1874, were chosen by the V&A to showcase the exceptional goldsmithing techniques of Asante royal goldsmiths, serving as inspiration for British artists and designers.
Director of the V&A, Dr. Tristram Hunt said: ‘150 years after the attack on Kumasi and looting of court regalia, the V&A is proud to be partnering with the Manhiya Palace Museum to display this important collection of Asante gold work. As part of our commitment to sharing collections with a colonial past, we are excited to see these items on public show, in Ghana, as part of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s Silver Jubilee celebrations. We thank the Asantehene for his leadership, and look forward to further collaboration.’
Keeper of Africa, Oceania and the Americas British Museum, Lissant Bolton said: ‘We are privileged to have built a long-standing cultural partnership with the Manhyia Palace Museum, working together over the past five decades. This relationship is of great importance to us. We are delighted to be lending these beautiful and significant cultural objects for display in Kumasi in this the Asantehene’s Silver Jubilee year and the 150th anniversary of the Anglo-Asante war, and to be doing so through a collaboration with Manhyia Palace Museum and the V&A.’
Notes
- 17 items from the V&A collection are planned for loan to the Manhyia Palace Museum, on the basis of a long term (three-year) renewable agreement. More information on these objects can be found here
- 15 items from the British Museum are planned for loan to the Manhyia Palace Museum, on the basis of a long term (three year) agreement.
- More information about the V&A’s global Africa collection can be found here
- More information on the British Museum’s African Galleries can be found here
The V&A
The V&A is a family of museums dedicated to the power of creativity— its power to entertain and move, to enrich our lives, open our minds and change the world. We celebrate and share that power through a programme of exhibitions, events, educational and digital experiences, a collection of 2.8 million objects, and through our support for new works and commitment to conservation, research and sustainable design.
Together, our work tells a 5,000-year-old story of creativity, helping to advance cultural knowledge everywhere, and inspiring the makers, creators and innovators of today and tomorrow. We are always working to broaden our audiences so that everyone can be part of the V&A – because the V&A and the power of creativity belong to us all.
The British Museum
Founded in 1753, the British Museum was the first national public museum in the world. The Collection of around 8 million objects tells the stories of cultures across the world, from the dawn of human history, over two million years ago, to the present.
Objects range from the earliest tools made by humans and remarkable finds from the ancient world to more recent acquisitions from Africa, Oceania and the Americas, the Middle East, Asia and Europe, as well as the national collections of prints and drawings, and coins and medals. In addition to work in London, the Museum takes part in an extensive programme of loans and tours, both across the UK and throughout the world. Research with international impact continues to underpin the British Museum’s exhibitions and wider work.
Source – citinewsroom.com
