Benin retrieves a 17th-century royal chair that was looted, coming from Finland as part of its restitution efforts

Finland has returned a ceremonial stool that was taken from what is now Benin by French forces over a century ago, a gesture that officials from both nations have characterized as a significant step in the restitution of the West African country’s cultural heritage.

The katakle, a three-legged stool, has its origins in the Kingdom of Dahomey, established in the 17th century along the coast of what is now Benin.

“This is the epilogue, and we are now looking ahead to other areas of restitution, return and circulation,” stated Benin’s culture minister, Jean-Michel Herve Abimbola, during a ceremony on Tuesday in Cotonou, eliciting a round of applause.

In 1892, French colonial forces seized 27 artefacts from the royal palace of the Kingdom of Dahomey, including two katakles, which were subsequently sent to the Ethnographic Museum of the Trocadero in Paris, as reported by the National Museum of Finland.

The museum described it as a ceremonial portable throne that represented stability and power, noting that the king possessed a larger throne as well.

In 2018, France declared its intention to return 26 of the works, and this was accomplished in 2021. Nevertheless, one of the katakles was removed from the collection and found its way to Finland’s National Museum.

“The procedure for returning the royal katakle to Benin exemplifies the strength of contemporary rightful cultural policy,” stated Mari-Leena Talvitie, Finland’s science and culture minister, on Tuesday.

Western museums have historically pushed back against requests to return artifacts to their countries of origin, often claiming that these nations do not possess the adequate resources to properly care for the items.

Benin has requested the return of thousands of stolen artifacts.