Ivory Coast: France will restore the speaking drum of the Ebrié people
A room in the Museum of Civilizations in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
(Illustrative image) © Wikimedia common
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
France will return the 26 works of the Béhanzin treasure to Benin at the end of October.
Emmanuel Macron also announced at the Africa-France summit on October 8, 2021 that another work would soon be returned to Côte d'Ivoire.
It is the talking drum of the Ebrié people, formerly the Tchaman people.
A unique object, which was also and above all used to sound the alarm in the face of the arrival of French settlers.
Advertising
Read more
"
A great joy, an important gesture
", the Ivorian authorities have multiplied since Friday the marks of recognition with regard to Paris.
The restitution of this drum, known under the name of "Djidji Ayôkwé" is extremely appreciated by Abidjan.
And for good reason: the object is a major piece of Shaman culture, a symbolic object and a real means of communication.
“
It was the Djidji Ayôkwé that allowed them to warn each other that the settler was arriving in such an area, because people did not agree with the muscular method of requisitioning people to go. work.
And so, when they came, they couldn't find anyone and they ended up discovering that it was the drum that was beating and that we could hear from a long way away, 12 kilometers around
, ”explains Silvie Memel-Kassi. , the director of the Museum of Civilizations of Côte d'Ivoire.
Confiscated in 1916 by French settlers, this unique 3.50 meter long piece had been demanded for years by the Ivorian authorities.
In 2018, it was at the top
of a list of 148 items requested from France
.
If the date of his return to Côte d'Ivoire is not yet known, it is understood that the Djidji Ayôkwé will be exhibited at the Museum of Civilizations of Côte d'Ivoire.
A space has already been arranged for several months to accommodate it.
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Ivory Coast
France
Culture Africa
Arts