In the heart of the City of Light, Paris, an exceptional sale entitled “Tribal Exception” is currently taking place, highlighting ancient objects of great cultural and historical value from Asia, Latin America and Africa. This event, which attracts the attention of collectors and art lovers from around the world, presents a variety of unique artifacts, including the recade of King Behanzin, a symbolic wooden scepter carrying a history as rich as it is controversial.
The recade of King Behanzin, representing a hand closed on the liver of a defeated enemy, is at the heart of the debates. The question of its provenance and legitimacy raises questions about its presence on the art market. Marie-Cécile Zinsou, president of the Zinsou Art Foundation, spoke on the issue, highlighting the questionable nature of the sale of this historical object.
In a context where the restitution of works of art looted during the colonial period is at the heart of concerns, the sale of the recade of King Behanzin raises ethical and political questions. While France has just returned a significant number of works to Benin to recognize the atrocities of the colonial army, the sale of this symbol of ancestral power at ridiculous prices may seem inappropriate and disrespectful to Beninese history and culture.
The attitude of the descendants of soldiers of the colonial army, who allow themselves to sell looted objects without consulting the countries of origin, arouses indignation and underlines the urgency of thinking about a more respectful approach to African cultural heritage. It is essential to recognize the painful past of colonization and to work for the preservation and restitution of stolen objects, in order to restore justice and respect for the peoples whose culture has been plundered.
The sale of the recade of King Behanzin highlights the complex issues of cultural reappropriation and restitution of cultural property, inviting a deep reflection on the relations between colonizing countries and former colonies. It is time to take a critical look at the colonial past and to envisage a future based on mutual respect and the recognition of historical wrongs.