Medieval jug's journey from England to Ghana traced in new exhibition
An upcoming exhibition showcases the history of the Asante Ewer, a bronze jug from medieval England that made its way to West Africa and returned. This artifact, which dates back to between 1340 and 1405, is one of only three known medieval European ewers to have arrived in Ghana. The exhibition delves into its varied roles: as a luxury item in England, a sacred object in West Africa, and as spoils of war seized by British forces during the Anglo-Asante War in 1896. The research emphasizes trade routes established across the Sahara around AD 800, linking West Africa with North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East, along with Atlantic maritime routes that began in the late 1400s, facilitating direct trade between Europe and West Africa.
Key facts
- The Asante Ewer is a medieval bronze jug from England.
- It dates between 1340 and 1405.
- It is one of three medieval European ewers known to have traveled to Ghana.
- The ewer was used as a sacred vessel in a royal palace in Ghana.
- It was taken as military loot by British troops during the Anglo-Asante War in 1896.
- Trade routes across the Sahara connected West Africa with other regions from about AD 800.
- Atlantic maritime routes enabled direct trade between Europe and West Africa from the late 1400s.
- The exhibition presents research on the ewer's journey and significance.
Entities
Locations
- England
- West Africa
- Ghana
- North Africa
- Mediterranean
- Middle East
- Europe
- Sahara