The asipim, sika mena and all the other things we know about the returned Ashanti artefacts

In the last few weeks, since the well-received announcement that some British Museums were going to return gold and silver objects that troops looted from the Asante kingdom in the 19th century, there has been high anticipation for the return of these items.

Although the return of these artefacts is not permanent, it has still brought with it a lot of excitement, particularly for persons linked to the Ashanti heritage.

According to the BBC, these "crown jewels," which date back as far as 150 years and more, were looted from the court of the Asante king.

The artefacts, 32 in number, are expected to come from the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) (which is lending 17 pieces), and the British Museum, from where 15 artefacts will be sent back to the Ashanti kingdom.

So far, the Manhyia Palace at Kumasi, the seat of the Asante kingdom, has received the first batch of looted artefacts from the Fowler Museum in California, USA, as part of a restitution agreement between the museum and the palace.

The artefacts, which include gold, bronze artefacts and silver ornaments, were among the items taken by the British soldiers during the Sagrenti War in 1874, when they invaded the Asante Kingdom.

The agreement to loan back these artefacts happened after several engagements between Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and the English Monarch, after which the British government offered to send some of these items back to Ghana on a three-year loan.

But a major question has been, ‘What are these 32 artefacts that are being returned to Ghana?’

While GhanaWeb has not been able to adequately establish the names or types of artefacts to be returned, we have at least been able to learn of some of these items that are, literally, ‘coming back home.’

The asipim, sika mena, and co:

After extensive reading, it has been established that among the objects being returned are pieces of elaborately worked gold, a gold necklace, an ornamental chair and an elephant tail whisk.

According to some international media news sites, these items are a gold jewellery and ornaments, an asipim (ornamental chair) and a sika mena (elephant tail whisk).

The whisk, according to Erica P. Jones, the museum manager of curatorial affairs and senior curator of African arts at the Fowler Museum at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), “is a ceremonial piece that is held by someone of incredibly high status.”

Why a loan of the ‘crown jewels’ to Ashanti Ghana?

It is banned by law in Britain for museums in the UK, including the V&A and the British Museum, to permanently give back contested items in their collections.

They are, however, allowed to go into loan deals with these countries for the return of these items temporarily.

Now, here are some photos of some of what are believed to be the artefacts that will be returned to the Ashanti kingdom:

















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AE