Benin has reclaimed a 17th-century royal stool, known as a katakle, from Finland, marking a significant victory in its quest to recover looted cultural treasures. Seized from the Kingdom of Dahomey by French colonial forces in 1892, the stool symbolized stability and royal power and was used as a portable throne. While France returned 26 of the 27 looted artifacts in 2021, this particular katakle had found its way to Finland’s National Museum, making a return complicated. During a ceremony in Cotonou, Benin’s Culture Minister Jean-Michel Herve Abimbola hailed the return as a milestone and expressed optimism for further restitutions. Finland’s Science and Culture Minister Mari-Leena Talvitie emphasized the move as a testament to progressive cultural policy.
Reuters
