The African Kingdom of Gold: Britain and the Asante Treasure

by Barnaby Phillips (Author)

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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.

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Publisher Brains & Noble

Publication date June 13, 2026

Condition new

Author Barnaby Phillips

Interior Black_white

Item model number BN-125061

Category Finance