A Los Angeles museum is seeking to return two historic Ghanaian artifacts believed to have been looted during British military operations in the Asante Kingdom, but an unusual and sensitive complication is slowing the restitution process: both objects contain human remains.
The Fowler Museum at the University of California, Los Angeles holds an ivory trumpet and a drum associated with the Asante Kingdom. According to reporting by The Art Newspaper, the objects were taken by British forces from Kumasi during military campaigns in the late 19th century.
The museum has expressed its intention to return the artifacts to Ghana as part of growing international efforts to restore cultural property taken during colonial rule.
However, the return is far more complicated than simply packing the objects and shipping them back to Ghana.
The Human Remains Problem
The trumpet and drum reportedly have human skulls attached to them. That means museum officials must deal not only with questions surrounding ownership and cultural restitution, but also ethical and legal concerns involving the handling and transportation of human remains.
The sensitive nature of the objects requires discussions about how the remains should be treated, who should receive them and whether special procedures must be followed before the artifacts can leave the United States.
The Fowler Museum has kept the objects in storage rather than displaying them publicly while efforts surrounding their potential return continue.
Ghana Pushes for Cultural Restitution
The issue comes as Ghana intensifies efforts to recover cultural objects removed from the country during colonial conflicts. In June 2026, Ghana’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts said the country was strengthening cooperation with UNESCO on cultural heritage protection and the restitution of looted cultural property.
For Ghana, the proposed return represents more than the recovery of museum pieces. The artifacts are connected to the history of the Asante Kingdom and a period when valuable cultural objects were carried away following military invasions.
The Fowler Museum’s case now highlights one of the most difficult questions facing museums worldwide: How should institutions return culturally significant objects when those objects also contain human remains?
Until that issue is resolved, the historic Ghanaian artifacts may remain in Los Angeles even though the museum wants them returned home.
