The Manhyia Palace Museum has announced the discovery of historic paintings of two Asante soldiers from the Kwabre district in Mampong.
The paintings, created by Hungarian artist Helene Urszenyi Breznay, were identified during a visit to the National Army Museum in Stevenage, North London, on October 9, 2024.
The Director of the Manhyia Palace Museum, Ivor Agyeman-Duah, said the visit also included an inquest and authentication of other looted Asante objects held at the museum.
“On October 9 last year, we visited the National Army Museum in the industrial park outside of Stevenage in North London, which has some other looted objects, including, ironically, gifts from the great imperial empress, Queen Victoria, to Asantehene Kofi Karkari. They were taken by her own looting brigade, who did not seem to know the difference between homemade gifts and indigenous ones,” he said.
Following the authentication process, lithographic images were presented to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for review on October 29, 2024.
“It was, however, during the London visit that we discovered famous paintings of two soldiers from the Kwabre district in Mampongten,” Mr Agyeman-Duah stated.
The discovery was among paintings that were displayed at the Palace corridor during the 2026 Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Art Awards on May 13, 2026.
Story by Hajara Fuseini
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Source:
opemsuo.com