We talk to author BARNABY PHILLIPS about his new book which details the British looting of Kumasi, the Ashanti heartland, in what is now Ghana. There had been many conflicts in the course of a century between the British and the Ashanti, but Barnaby focuses on the battle of 1874 in which the Asantehene's palace was systematically stripped of its treasures, amny of which had sacred value.

The loot was then officially auctioned off at Cape Coast Castle to British officers and traders. Described by one contemporary MP as 'simply a policy of robbery', the book highlights the moral contradiction of the British Empire. The British justified the invasion as a mission to bring 'civilisation' to 'barbarians'.

But the book sheds light on the 'racist hypocrisy' of the victors who, after destroying the city, sold the sacred religious artefacts to London jewellers and private collectors to raise funds for the war effort.

The cultural heart and soul of the Ashanti kingdom - The Golden Stool - though, was never taken. It was kept hidden in forests and protected by villagers for decades - ensuring the continuity of the kingdom despite the exile of its king and queen.

Barnaby was traces the specific journeys of famous items like the Wallace Head from the moment of their looting to their current locations. A key takeaway is how these objects shifted from being sacred royal regalia in Kumasi to being curios in Victorian drawing rooms, and finally to contested museum exhibits in the 21st century. Barnaby tells us more about the recent return of some artefacts - a mere 32 of them - in 2024 and how it was the culmination of a century of diplomacy.

Despite the burning of their capital in 1874, and the exile of their King Prempeh I in 1896, the Ashanti kingdom survived. We hear how the monarchy's prestige has been restored and how the current Asantehene, Osei Tutu II, successfully negotiated the return of his ancestors' treasures, if only on a loaned basis.

I was joined by Patrick Smith, editor of Africa Confidential, and writer and broadcaster, Donu Kogbara.

Barnaby Phillips' book, The African Kingdom of Gold: Britain and the Asante Treasure is published by Oneworld.