The Quai Branly museum exhibits 26 works of art from Benin before their return to the country

A last exhibition in France. The Quai Branly museum, which houses thousands of African works partly looted during colonization, exhibits, from Tuesday 26 to Sunday 31 October, 26 works of art from Benin, before their return to this country promised by Emmanuel Macron and allowed by a law passed at the end of 2020.

These works of art, totem statues of the ancient kingdom of Abomey as well as the throne of King Béhanzin, looted during the sacking of the Abomey palace by colonial troops in 1892, are the subject of a special exhibition in the Parisian museum where they were part of the collections until now.

Two curators from Benin have been in France for more than a week to organize the return of the works, “requested by Benin”, told AFP Emmanuel Kasarhérou, president of the Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac museum, for whom this restitution is “a first achievement” issue “from a long work of research”.

According to experts, 85 to 90% of African heritage is outside the continent. Since 2019, in addition to Benin, six countries (Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Chad, Mali, Madagascar) have submitted restitution requests. At least 90,000 art objects from sub-Saharan Africa are in French public collections. Some 70,000 of them at Quai Branly, including 46,000 who arrived during the colonial period.