In 1892, French troops entered Abomey, the capital of the kingdom of Dahomey, and carried away royal treasures, including thrones and statues of the kings. For more than a century, the objects sat in museums in Paris. In November 2021, 26 of them flew home to Benin. Crowds lined the roads in Cotonou, and the government declared the return a moment of national pride.
The looting and the objects
French forces under General Alfred Dodds captured Abomey in 1892 during the war against King Béhanzin. Royal objects were taken to France. The 26 treasures included royal thrones, carved statues representing kings of Dahomey and doors from the palaces. The objects were held at the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris, which holds many African artefacts.
Macron's promise and the handover
In 2017, President Emmanuel Macron said in a speech in Ouagadougou that he wanted conditions for the return of African heritage within five years. France passed a law in 2020 allowing the return of these specific objects, because French museum collections are legally protected. The objects were formally handed over in November 2021 and flown to Benin. In 2022, they went on display in Cotonou in an exhibition that also featured contemporary Beninese art. Visitors came in large numbers.
The return encouraged other countries and museums to consider restitution, including returns of Benin Bronzes to Nigeria.
Criticism and museums in Benin
Some argued that 26 objects were only a small part of the thousands of African artefacts in French museums. Benin has planned new museums to house returned and national heritage. For many Beninese, the return was about dignity and history as much as art. King Béhanzin resisted the French for two years before surrendering in 1894. He was exiled to Martinique and later Algeria, where he died in 1906. His statue in Abomey and the return of objects from his palace give him a special place in Benin’s memory.
Crowds in Cotonou and the Benin Bronzes
Schoolchildren, families and officials queued for hours to see the treasures, and many described the experience as emotional. The return took place as Germany and other countries began returning Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, a separate case involving the kingdom of Benin in Nigeria. The thrones of Dahomey’s kings spent 129 years in Paris. Their return showed that what was taken by force can, with enough pressure, come home.
