16th-century European brass basin looted from Asante kingdom displayed at British Museum
The Aya Kese, a brass basin from the 16th century, was seized by British forces in 1896 from the Asante kingdom in Ghana and is currently showcased at the British Museum. Measuring over one meter across and adorned with four sculpted lions, its origins trace back to England, Germany, or the Netherlands before arriving in West Africa in the early 18th century. It was documented by Thomas Bowditch in 1817 and captured in a photograph in 1884. Taken by Robert Baden-Powell during the invasion, it was later donated to the Royal United Services Institute in 1913 and acquired by the National Army Museum in 1963, but was removed from display in 2021. King Prempeh I of Asante requested its return in 1930, which the British government declined. The basin is part of The Asante Ewer exhibition until June 7.
Key facts
- The Aya Kese is a 16th-century brass basin with four sculpted lions, likely made in northern Europe.
- It was looted by British troops in 1896 from the Asante kingdom in what is now Ghana.
- Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts Association, took the basin during the invasion.
- The basin is currently displayed at the British Museum in the exhibition The Asante Ewer until June 7.
- Asante king Prempeh I requested its return in 1930, but the British government refused.
- The National Army Museum owns the basin and will return it to storage after the exhibition.
- Scholar Tom McCaskie advocates for restitution to Kumasi, citing its cultural importance.
- British Museum curators plan further research on the basin's metal composition and techniques.
Entities
Artists
- Thomas Bowditch
- Robert Baden-Powell
- Prempeh I
- Tom McCaskie
- Lloyd de Beer
- Barnaby Phillips
- Robert Sutherland Rattray
Institutions
- British Museum
- National Army Museum
- Royal United Services Institute
- Boy Scouts Association
- University of Birmingham
- Manhyia Palace Museum
- The Art Newspaper
Locations
- London
- England
- Germany
- Netherlands
- Ghana
- Kumasi
- Bantama
- Sandhurst
- Stevenage
- West Africa
- Portugal
- United Kingdom