Restitution of looted objects in Ghana

A favorable global dialogue for the restitution of African cultural heritage in general
and
Ghanaian in particular

                The return of antiquities stolen by a US museum is a very sensitive issue for many Ghanaians. For many years, thousands of African art objects have been stolen or sold illegally to foreign museums, particularly European and American ones. These objects represent a substantial part of the history, culture and identity of African countries, but have been largely out of reach for Africans.

           However, in recent years there has been an uptake of growing awareness of the importance of returning these objects to their original sources, where they can be protected and enjoyed by local communities. Ghana has been one of the leading countries in this movement, publicly calling for the return of its stolen antiquities.

        In 2019, a US museum has announced it will return a series of antiquities stolen from Ghana, as part of a historic deal between the two countries. The announcement was greeted with enthusiasm and emotion by many Ghanaians, who saw it as a sign of respect for their cultural heritage and history. Other museums and collections around the world have subsequently returned art objects to Ghana. Among the objects returned between 2019 and 2024 are sculptures and objects in wood, brass and ivory, dating from the 15th to the 20th century: a brass head representing King Guézo of the Kingdom of Benin and a wooden statue representing an AKUA' BA, a doll traditionally used by Akan women in Ghana...

       Since then, Ghana has experienced a cultural ferment, with many events held to celebrate the return of stolen antiquities. The country has also intensified its efforts to recover other objects stolen and lost over the decades during the colonial period.

     These restitutions mark a turning point in the history of African art. The Ghanaian approach has inspired many other countries to take these steps. This could have a lasting impact on the way African art objects are treated around the world and can pave the way for a new era of cultural respect and understanding, but above all a favorable global dialogue on the restitution of cultural heritage .