Great Britain will temporarily return to Ghana some of the "crown jewels" looted 150 years ago from the court of the king of the Asante people.
The gold pipe is just one of 32 items that will be returned on a long-term loan, the BBC has revealed.
London's Victoria and Albert Museum will lend 17 exhibits, while 15 items will arrive from the British Museum.
Ghana's chief negotiator said he hoped for a "new chapter of cultural cooperation" after the anger felt by generations so far.
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Certain museums in Great Britain, including the two mentioned in London, are prohibited by law from permanently returning objects from their collections to their countries of origin.
Agreements like these are considered a way for these exhibits to be exhibited, at least temporarily, in the countries they originate from.
But in some countries, which claim that the objects are theirs, they fear that by agreeing to loans, they would actually signal that they accept that Great Britain is the owner of these valuables.
Tristram Hunt, director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, told the BBC that these gold objects from the court are the equivalent of the "crown jewels" in Great Britain.
The objects that will be loaned were mostly stolen during the 19th century and the war between the British troops and the Asante people, and among them are the state sword and gold brooches, which were worn by officials tasked with purifying the soul of the king.
When museums preserve "objects appropriated in war and looting, then there is a responsibility to the countries from which they came to find a way to share them more fairly with those peoples," says Hunt.
"It doesn't seem to me that British museums will fail if we establish such partnerships and exchanges," he adds.
However, Hunt points out that the new partnership does not mean the establishment of "backdoor restitution", meaning that the facilities will not be returned to Ghana for permanent ownership.
The three-year loan agreement, with an option to extend for a further three years, was concluded not with the Government of Ghana, but with Otumfu Osei Tutu the Second, the King of Asante also known as Asanten.e
He also attended the coronation of British King Charles III last year.
Asantene still has an influential but ceremonial role, as his kingdom is now part of the modern democratic state of Ghana.
The precious objects will be displayed at the Manhia Palace Museum in Kumasi, the capital of the Asante region, to celebrate the silver jubilee of the nation.
They are an important symbol of Asante royalty and are believed to contain the spirits of former kings.
They are as important to Ghana as the Benin Bronze is to Benin, i.e. the thousands of sculptures and plaques that Britain took from the palace of the former Kingdom of Benin, which is now in Nigeria.
Nigeria has been asking for the return of those items for decades.
Nana Oforiata Ajim, an adviser to Ghana's minister of culture, told the BBC that "these are not just objects, but also have spiritual significance".
"They are part of the soul of the nation. It's as if parts of us are coming back," he adds.
The loan is "a good starting point" on the anniversary of the theft of these valuables and "a sign of healing and remembering the violence that happened," she believes.
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Many objects taken from Ghana are preserved in British museums, among them is a golden trophy in the shape of a head, one of the most famous symbols of the heritage of the Asante kingdom.
The Asante state was once one of the most powerful and important in West Africa, trading in gold, linen and slaves.
The kingdom was known for its military power and wealth.
Even now, Asantene meets officials during formal ceremonies, and sometimes wears gold bracelets so heavy that he is accompanied by an aide who holds his hand.
Europeans were attracted to the Gold Coast, which featured in tales of African riches, and Great Britain fought several battles with the Asante people in the 19th century.
After the Asante attack in 1874, British troops went on a "punitive expedition", as it was called in the colonial language of the time, during which Kumasi was thoroughly searched and many valuables were looted from the palace.
Most of the items from the Victoria and Albert Museum were bought at auction on April 18, 1874 from Garrard, the London jewelers who also kept the crown jewels of the British royal family.
Among them are three heavy "soul cleaner" brooches made of cast gold (akrafokonmu), which high officials wore around their necks at court and were in charge of cleaning the souls of kings.
Angus Patterson, senior curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum, says these objects in the 19th century "were not simply taken away for the purpose of appropriating wealth, although that was one of the reasons".
"It was done to remove symbols of government and symbols of authority. It's a very political act," Patterson claims.
The British Museum is lending another 15 items, some of which were stolen during the later conflict of 1895 and 1896, among them a sword known as mpomponsuo.
There is also a ceremonial cap, called German women, which is richly decorated with gold.
It was worn by senior courtiers during coronations and other great ceremonies.
The British Museum is also lending a gilded harp (sankuo), which was not stolen, to highlight its nearly 200-year association with Asante.
The object was given to the British writer and diplomat Thomas Bodwich in 1817, and he pointed out that it was a gift from the Asantene king to the museum, to show the wealth and status of this African nation.
Watch a video about Benin Bronze:
'Beyond Politics'
Can you lend items to a country that claims you previously stole them?
It is a solution to the UK's legal restrictions, which may not be acceptable to countries that want to right a historical wrong.
One of the most famous examples is the Parthenon sculptures or the Elgin marbles as they are also called in Great Britain.
Greece has long demanded the return of these sculptures, exhibited in the British Museum in London.
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George Osborne, chairman of the museum's board of directors, said that a "practical, pragmatic and rational way to solve this issue" was sought.
He also added that work is being done to analyze the partnership that will determine who actually owns these classic historical artifacts.
The agreement made with the Asantene is a different version of this case.
A compromise was reached with the ruler of the Asante people and is in accordance with British law.
But as the chances of Nigeria borrowing a few thousand metal plates and sculptures Benin Bronze (Benin Bronzes) small, it is unlikely that the government of Ghana will accept such an agreement.
Hunt, however, believes the arrangements by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the British Museum and the Manchia Palace Museum will "transcend politics".
"The problem is not solved, but negotiations will begin," he added.
Oforiata Ajim, adviser to Ghana's Minister of Culture, believes that people will be furious about the loan, because they hoped that the objects would be fully returned to the state.
"We know the items were looted, we know they belong to the Asante people," she added.
The British government follows a "keep and explain" policy when it comes to state-owned objects, which in practice means that disputed objects are kept and their context explained.
Neither the Conservative nor Labor parties are interested in changing the existing legislation.
The British Museum Act 1963 and the National Heritage Act 1983 prevent government bodies managing significant institutions from 'relinquishing' items from their own collections.
Hunt is in favor of changing the law.
He would like "museums to be freer in their decision-making, with the formation of a commission to which requests for the return of objects would be sent".
Some are worried that changing the law would mean that British museums would lose some of their most precious objects.
Michelle Donelan, the former culture secretary, said returning the Parthenon sculptures would open Pandora's box.
Hunt claims ownership of the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection of 2,8 million objects is disputed.
And there is also the fear that borrowed items will never be returned.
"Stick to the deal, don't break it," said Ghana's chief negotiator, Ivor Agyeman Dua.
There are other valuable items from the Asante Kingdom in Great Britain.
A gold trophy head in the form of a mask is also part of Wallace's collection.
It is a symbol of defeated enemies.
It was also taken by the British forces and bought at an auction in 1874.
Will these items be exhibited in Ghana sometime in the future?
Agjeman Dua says that one should go step by step.
Britain is increasingly confronted with the legacy of its own colonial past.
These types of agreements can be a diplomatic and practical way to deal with the past and create better relations in the future - if both parties agree.
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