"Dating from between 1340 and 1405, the jug is the largest surviving bronze ewer from medieval England. Decorated with an English inscription, royal heraldry and coat of arms, it was originally a luxury object - but its meaning changed dramatically as it moved across continents."
"A photograph taken in 1884 shows the ewer standing in the courtyard of the Asantehene's royal palace in Kumasi, alongside another European jug. Their position at the centre of the courtyard, apparently within a shrine, indicates that these imported vessels had become highly valued ceremonial objects."
"From around AD 800, trans-Saharan routes linked West Africa with North Africa, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, indirectly connecting the region to Europe. From the late 15th century, Atlantic sea routes created more direct trading links between Europe and West Africa."
A medieval bronze jug bearing English royal heraldry, dating from 1340-1405, traveled from England to West Africa through early trade routes and became a sacred ceremonial object in the Asante kingdom. The ewer, the largest surviving bronze vessel from medieval England, was positioned in the royal palace courtyard in Kumasi as part of ritual life. Trans-Saharan routes from around AD 800 and later Atlantic sea routes from the 15th century enabled exchange of luxury goods including copper, metals, gold, and ivory between Europe and West Africa. The jug was subsequently looted by British troops during the Anglo-Asante Wars in 1895-96 and brought to the British Museum, exemplifying how colonial violence appropriated valued cultural objects.
#medieval-trade-networks #colonial-looting #cultural-appropriation #asante-kingdom #museum-repatriation
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