The artefacts, produced over a century ago, were originally acquired in 1922 by Swiss art collector Joseph Mueller. They later became part of the Barbier-Mueller Museum in Geneva. In 2000, AngloGold Ashanti purchased the Barbier-Mueller Collection, which showcased exceptional West African gold-smithery, and housed it at the Gold of Africa Museum in Cape Town.
There they were part of a major exhibition in 2011.
The artefacts were later transferred to the Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria. The return of these items to Kumasi represents a cultural milestone, following a wave of deaccessions and restitutions to Africa.
Mr. Agyeman-Duah, supported by Edward Michael Ennin, a member of AngloGold Ashanti’s Ghana Board and a former Member of Parliament for Obuasi, authenticated the acquisition.
