مملكة الذهب الأفريقية

“An eye-catching, thought-provoking, and extremely important book.” William Boyd In 1874, Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Kingdom, burned. British soldiers roamed the palace and looted as much gold as they could before leveling it to the ground. In Britain, soldiers were given a hero's welcome. In 1896, they returned and sacked the palace again, carrying more gold back to London in triumph. _Royal families, the aristocracy, and London's most famous museums share the spoils. The Times declares: “It is almost impossible to describe the variety and beauty of these pieces.” There are golden masks, swooping eagles, and a ram’s head carved with extreme precision. A ceremonial sword (imbomponsu) comes wrapped in a leopard skin sheath. Barnaby Phillips traces the course of Britain's wars with the Ashanti Kingdom, along with the path of its looted antiquities, to weave a captivating and moving tale of imperial ambition and African resistance. African Gold Kingdom travels from the Gold Coast to museum galleries, officers' dining rooms, and the homes of the nobility in Britain, asking us pressing questions about the legacy of empire, and especially how our museums respond to it.