A ROYAL stool looted over a century ago during France’s colonial conquest of West Africa has been officially returned to Benin by Finland, in what officials have hailed as a major step in the restitution of cultural heritage.
The three-legged ceremonial throne, known as a kataklè, once belonged to the Kingdom of Dahomey, a powerful pre-colonial state founded in the 17th century in what is now southern Benin. It was handed over on Tuesday during a ceremony in Cotonou, where applause erupted as officials celebrated the symbolic homecoming.
‘This is the epilogue, and we are now looking ahead to other areas of restitution, return and circulation,’ said Benin’s Culture Minister Jean-Michel Hervé Abimbola during the event, Reuters reported.
Looted by French troops in 1892
The kataklè was among 27 artefacts seized in 1892 by French colonial forces during the looting of the royal palace in Abomey. While most of the stolen objects were sent to the Ethnographic Museum of the Trocadéro in Paris, this particular stool eventually made its way to the National Museum of Finland.
The item, a portable throne symbolising power and royal stability, was used by Dahomey kings during formal occasions away from their main palatial seat. The National Museum of Finland noted that although the king had a larger throne, the kataklè held significant ceremonial value.
Return hailed as model for restitution
In 2018, France announced its decision to return 26 Dahomey artefacts, which were formally handed back in 2021. However, the kataklè that surfaced in Finland had been separated from the main collection, prompting further negotiations.
‘The process for returning the royal kataklè back to Benin is an example of the power of modern rightful cultural policy,’ said Finland’s Minister of Science and Culture, Mari-Leena Talvitie, during the handover.
Benin pushes for wider repatriation
Benin has launched a determined campaign to recover thousands of its historical objects looted during colonial rule. Many of these remain in the holdings of European museums, which have long resisted repatriation, often arguing that former colonies lacked the infrastructure to conserve and display them.
However, recent years have seen a shift in cultural policy across Europe. Institutions are increasingly acknowledging the importance of returning artefacts to their places of origin, particularly those acquired under coercive or violent circumstances.
Benin’s government has taken proactive steps to welcome back its cultural heritage, including plans for new museums to house the items, such as the forthcoming Museum of the Epic of the Amazons and Kings of Dahomey in Abomey.
The return of the kataklè adds to a growing number of restituted treasures and underscores a renewed international momentum for redressing historical injustices.
Credit: Africabriefing
