"We are here [...] [because] the white man came into Asanteman to loot and destroy it," Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the ruler of the Asante kingdom, reportedly stated during a presenting ceremony.
The items were kept in the US Fowler Museum since the 1960s and included an elephant tail whisk, an ornamental chair made of wood, leather, and iron, two gold stool ornaments, a gold necklace, and two bracelets.
"It is with great emotion that I stand here today to present to Your Majesty seven historical art works, some of which were looted from the Palace in 1876 and others that were part of the indemnity the Asantes were forced to pay to the British at the end of the Sagrenti War," the Director of the Museum, Silvia Forni, said.
All seven objects were returned unconditionally and permanently, however the kingdom allowed their replicas to be made.
The return of valuable items is a sign that African nations' efforts to repatriate stolen antiquities are having an impact, despite decades of resistance from Western and European governments and museums. However, activists reportedly claim that thousands more remain unattainable.
More and more museums are agreeing to give back African artifacts stolen during colonial times, but not all of them are ready to say goodbye to cultural objects forever.
In January, two London museums said they will lend a priceless collection of looted gold and silver regalia associated with the Asante royal court to Ghana under a three-year loan deal and will be displayed this year in Kumasi, the main city of Ghana's Ashanti Region.