How do objects arrive in regimental collections? Object Journeys traces complex routes from trade and diplomatic gifts to seizure during conflict. At its heart are three medieval jugs that travelled from Europe to West Africa, later taken by British soldiers. Their journeys prompt questions about ownership, interpretation and the wider meanings of military collecting.

This exhibition is supported by the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund.

The medieval ewers on show in ‘Object Journeys’ are thought to have travelled from Europe to Africa either via trans-Saharan trade routes or along the Atlantic coast, possibly between the 1500s and 1700s. They will be shown in the exhibition accompanied by a photograph from the late 1800s showing two of them together in a courtyard of the Asante royal palace in Kumasi.

The exhibition features additional objects from Ghana from the collection of The Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment of Yorkshire, including a sword, a stool, a loom beater and a horn, showcasing the variety of items collected in a military context. Variously presented as trophies, prizes, souvenirs, curios and specimens, these objects highlight the historical contexts in which British servicemen acquired objects in colonial warfare and on imperial garrison duties across the globe from the 17th century onwards.