Home / Crime and Justice / Art World Shock: Stolen Asante Disc Exhibited, Auctioned
Art World Shock: Stolen Asante Disc Exhibited, Auctioned
5 Mar
Summary
- A stolen Asante gold disc reappeared in museums and auction houses unnoticed.
- The disc, stolen in 1991, was loaned and sold by institutions without identification.
- Historian Barnaby Phillips exposed the decades-long misidentification of the artifact.
A striking Asante gold disc, stolen from the British Museum in 1991, was unknowingly exhibited and sold by various institutions over more than a decade before its true status was uncovered. The artifact, described as the largest of the British Museum's Asante soul discs with a 21.5 cm diameter, vanished from its display case in October 1991.
Historian Barnaby Phillips revealed that the disc was later handled by collector Karl-Ferdinand Schaedler and loaned to museums, including Vienna's Museum für Völkerkunde, before being auctioned by Sotheby's in 1999. The Indianapolis Museum of Art acquired it, even using it for a festival logo, unaware of its origin.
Scholars eventually alerted British Museum colleagues to the disc's similarity to the stolen object. The British Museum discreetly arranged for its return in 2002, disguising its presence at the Indianapolis Museum as a loan. Phillips's new book, 'The African Kingdom of Gold: Britain and the Asante Treasure,' details this saga, questioning the diligence of all parties involved.
The British Museum acknowledged the events occurred decades ago, confirming the object's safe return and its current presence in their collection. They emphasized their commitment to safeguarding collections, including digitization efforts, and noted that thefts are an inherent risk.
