The African Kingdom of Gold

‘A compelling, challenging and important book.’ William Boyd 1874. Kumasi, the Asante capital, burns. British soldiers prowl the palace, looting as much gold as they can find, before razing it to the ground. In Britain the soldiers are feted as heroes. In 1896 they return, looting the palace a second time and carrying off more gold to London in triumph. Royalty, aristocracy and London’s most illustrious museums divide the spoils. ‘It is scarcely possible to do justice to the variety and beauty of these specimens,’ _The Times_ declares. There are golden masks, swooping eagles and an exquisitely wrought ram’s head. One _mpomponsou_ – a ceremonial sword – comes wrapped in a leopard skin sheath. Tracing the course of Britain’s wars with the Asante alongside the course of its plundered relics, Barnaby Phillips weaves a thrilling and poignant tale of imperial ambition and African resistance. Travelling from the Gold Coast to the museum galleries, officers’ mess rooms and aristocratic homes of Britain, _The African Kingdom of Gold_ confronts us with urgent questions about the legacy of Empire and, in particular, how our museums should respond.