Ghana unveils looted treasures stolen by the British

STORY: These Ghanaian artefacts, looted during British colonial rule, have now been returned from the UK and the U.S, and went public display for the first time this week.

People traveled from across Ghana to see the repatriated plunder in the city of Kumasi.

It is the seat of Asante King Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, known as the Asantehene.

"The items that came back [are] virtually the soul of the people of Ashanti. We are displaying this for you to see the items that were stolen, looted in 1874. Not all of them have returned, but what we have here still embodies the soul of Ashanti."

The Asantehene said negotiations to return the items took more than 50 years.

London's British and Victoria & Albert museums and the Fowler Museum of the University of California sent the treasures back earlier this year.

That's part of growing pressure on Western institutions to reexamine colonial legacies and repatriate stolen items.

Most of the 42 artefacts on display in Kumasi were taken during five battles between the Asante Kingdom and Britain known as the Anglo-Asante wars.

Many were pillaged directly from the Asante palace.

Visitor Lawer Akunor said the return of the artefacts was an "important milestone".

"Everything that we see is a piece of history. And so bringing it back is bringing back the history to the people, to who it belongs. We own the narrative, and we should tell our story."

Some of Britain's main national museums are banned by law from handing over or disposing of the bulk of their collections.

Because of that, 32 objects from the British Museum and the Victoria & Albert are in Ghana on loan.