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Will France's Museums Return African Art Treasures?

Benin may have the best chance to date of getting them back, as French President Emmanuel Macron vows to make the return of treasures from former African colonies a top priority. That vow will be tested next week, when Benin President Patrice Talon visits France. Restitution of Dahomey artifacts is expected to rank high in discussions between the two leaders, writes Lisa Bryant for the Voice of America.

Miguel Hermoso Cuesta

France’s stockpiling of treasures from Dahomey happened during colonial fighting between 1892 and 1894, but it was also carried out by missionaries who “robbed communities of what they considered to be charms”, said Irenee Zevounou, Benin’s ambassador to UNESCO, the UN’s cultural body in Paris.

Wikipedia

Many treasures taken by France from Benin - when it was still known as Dahomey - are now on display in French museums, including the Quai Branly in Paris Two female steatopyous figures said to represent Dahomey pygmies, West Africa.

Lisa Bryant/VOA

Beninese art at the gallery of Robert Vallois, who teamed up with other gallery owners to build a museum and donate art to Benin.

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