Benin has successfully reclaimed a 17th-century royal chair, known as a kataklé, from Finland, marking a significant milestone in the country’s ongoing efforts to repatriate cultural heritage looted during colonial incursions.
French colonial forces seized the ceremonial Benin three-legged stool-emblematic of the Kingdom of Dahomey-during their 1892 invasion of Abomey, the kingdom’s capital. In 1939, France’s Musée de l’Homme exchanged the artifact with Finland’s National Museum, which then acquired it.
On May 13, 2025, officials returned the kataklé during a ceremony in Cotonou, attended by Finnish Minister of Science and Culture Mari-Leena Talvitie and Benin’s Minister of Culture Jean-Michel Herve Abimbola. The return completes a restitution process initiated in 2021, which saw France repatriate 26 other royal treasures from the same palace.
The kataklé served historically as a portable throne for Dahomean monarchs, symbolizing power, unity, and stability. Many widely view its return not only as the recovery of an artifact but also as the restoration of Benin’s cultural identity and dignity.
This event is part of a broader global movement towards addressing the legacies of colonial looting. Recent restitution initiatives include the Netherlands’ commitment to returning over 100 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, as well as France’s promises to repatriate additional African artifacts.
Minister Abimbola emphasized the symbolic importance of the kataklé’s return, stating,
“This is the epilogue, and we are now looking ahead to other areas of restitution, return, and circulation.”
The Museum of the Marina in Cotonou will exhibit the kataklé alongside other reclaimed royal artifacts, allowing the public to reconnect with Benin’s rich historical and cultural heritage.
