Royal thrones of Dahomey: The surviving examples

"A king without a throne is not a king. But a throne without a king still holds his spirit." — Fon saying

In the Kingdom of Dahomey, the throne was never just furniture. It was the seat of power in the most literal sense: the place where the king's energy rested. Each king built his own throne, often during his lifetime, incorporating symbols of his reign, his personal deity, and the achievements he wanted history to remember.

Some of these thrones survive today. Others were destroyed in the fires of 1892. Some sit in the Abomey Historical Museum. Others remain in France, at the heart of the restitution debate that has reshaped Franco-Beninese relations in the 2020s.

This is the story of each surviving throne — what it represents, where it is now, and how to see it.

The throne of king Glele (1858-1889)

The most famous and controversial of all Dahomey thrones belongs to King Glele. Known in French as the trône aux crânes (throne of skulls), it is a wooden seat supported by four human skulls, with armrests shaped like lions — Glele's dynastic animal.

The skulls are those of enemy kings defeated by Glele's armies. In Dahomean tradition, the skull of a defeated ruler was not a trophy in the modern sense. It was a vessel of power. By incorporating it into the throne, the victor absorbed the spiritual energy of the vanquished — a practice that paralleled the royal ancestral cult.

The throne is intricately carved and decorated with brass studs, cowrie shells, and red and blue beads. Each material carried meaning: cowries represented wealth and trade, brass signified durability and connection to the earth, beads marked royal status.

Where is it now? The throne of Glele is part of the collections of the Musée du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac in Paris. It was taken from Abomey during the French colonial period. It has been a focal point of restitution demands since President Macron's 2017 Ouagadougou speech, in which he acknowledged that African heritage in French museums was not acquired legitimately.

In 2021, France returned 26 objects to Benin, but Glele's throne was not among them. The throne remains in Paris, classified as a "national treasure" by the French government, making it legally inalienable — a status that restitution advocates argue was deliberately designed to block returns.

The current King of Abomey, Dah Sagbrou, has publicly requested the throne's return. The Beninese government continues to pursue its restitution through diplomatic channels.

The throne of king Ghezo (1818-1858)

Ghezo's throne is less macabre but equally powerful. Made of carved wood with silver appliques, it sits on a raised platform with three steps. The back of the throne is shaped like a buffalo — Ghezo's dynastic animal — with horns curling outward.

Ghezo was the king who transformed Dahomey into a military powerhouse. He modernized the army, expanded the Agojie (the Dahomey Amazons), and fought the Oyo Empire to a stalemate. His throne is decorated with battle scenes and symbols of military authority.

Where is it now? Ghezo's throne is in the Abomey Historical Museum, housed in his former palace. It is one of the museum's centerpiece exhibits, displayed in a room that also contains his royal insignia, his weapons, and the ceremonial drums used during his reign.

Visitors to Abomey can see it in person. The museum is open daily, and the throne is part of the standard guided tour.

The throne of king Behanzin (1889-1894)

Behanzin's throne is the most poignant because it is unfinished. When the French forces advanced on Abomey in 1892, Behanzin ordered the city and palaces burned rather than let them fall into enemy hands. His throne — still being carved — was partially destroyed in the fire.

What remains is a carved wooden base with the beginnings of the royal symbols — a shark (Behanzin's dynastic animal) emerging from the wood grain. The upper structure, the armrests, and the backrest were never completed.

This unfinished throne tells the story of the kingdom's fall more directly than any history book. The carver's tools were abandoned mid-stroke. The fire charred the edges. The French took fragments as souvenirs.

Where is it now? The surviving fragments of Behanzin's throne are in the Abomey Historical Museum, displayed alongside the accounts of his resistance and exile to Martinique and then Algeria.

The throne of king agoli-agbo (1894-1900)

Agoli-Agbo was the last king of Dahomey, installed by the French after Behanzin's surrender. His throne is simpler than those of his predecessors — smaller, less ornate, made of local wood with minimal decoration.

The French deliberately diminished the symbolism of the throne under colonial rule. Agoli-Agbo was a puppet king, and his throne reflects that status. It lacks the sculpted animals, the brass studs, and the cowrie shells of the earlier thrones.

Where is it now? It remains in Abomey, in the King's residence. It is not on public display in the museum, but the current King of Abomey keeps it as part of the royal regalia still used during ceremonial occasions.

Thrones in the museum courtyard

The Abomey Historical Museum also displays several thrones in its courtyard that belonged to earlier kings — Houegbadja (1645-1685), Akaba (1685-1716), and Agaja (1718-1740). These are simpler wooden structures, worn by time and weather, but they represent the oldest surviving thrones in the Dahomey lineage.

Houegbadja's throne is the most important of these because he was the founder of Abomey. It is a low, wide wooden seat without a back, closer to a stool than a throne. The simplicity is intentional: Houegbadja was a warrior king who built the first palace with his own hands. His throne reflects that modesty.

The thrones of Akaba and Agaja are slightly more elaborate but still follow the same basic form — wooden stools with carved supports. The evolution of throne design across the 18th and 19th centuries is visible in the courtyard, from plain warrior stools to the elaborate sculpted thrones of Glele and Ghezo.

What the thrones tell us

Taken together, the surviving thrones of Dahomey tell a story that no single object can convey.

They show the arc of the kingdom: from Houegbadja's simple warrior stool to Ghezo's silver-studded power seat to Glele's trophy throne of skulls to Behanzin's unfinished ruin. The rise, the peak, the overreach, and the fall are all visible in the woodwork.

They also show the argument for restitution in physical form. The throne of Glele in Paris is not just an African object in a European museum. It is a functioning royal symbol that the current King of Dahomey has requested back. Its absence from Abomey is not just a historical accident — it is an ongoing colonial relationship made visible.

And the thrones that remain in Abomey — Ghezo's in the museum, Behanzin's fragments, Agoli-Agbo's simplicity — are not just exhibits. They are active objects in a living royal tradition. The current king still performs rituals in the palace courtyards where these thrones sit. They are not dead artifacts.

How to see the thrones

In Abomey: The Abomey Historical Museum is the primary location. Ghezo's throne and Behanzin's fragments are inside the museum building. The early thrones are in the courtyard. Allow 2-3 hours for the full museum visit, which also includes the bas-reliefs, royal weapons, and ceremonial objects.

In Paris: Glele's throne is at the Musée du Quai Branly, in the permanent Africa collection. It is labelled with minimal context about its origin or the restitution debate. The Quai Branly also holds approximately 4,500 other objects from Dahomey, making it the largest collection of Dahomean royal art outside Benin.

The restitution question

Glele's throne is the focal point because of its extraordinary design and its symbolic weight. But the restitution debate extends to hundreds of Dahomey objects in French museums.

In 2021, France returned 26 objects to Benin — mostly from the Abomey palace, including the throne of King Ghezo (a different throne from the one in the museum), the door of the palace, and ceremonial figures. But the most iconic pieces, including Glele's throne, remained in France.

The Beninese position is clear: these objects were taken by force or under colonial duress. The French position is more complex, involving museum deaccessioning laws, the "inalienability" of national collections, and fears of setting a precedent for other restitution claims.

For the visitor to Abomey, the absence of Glele's throne is a physical presence. You can see photographs of it in the museum. You can see the space where it used to stand. But the throne itself is not there.

One day, perhaps, it will return.

FAQ

Where is Glele's throne now? It is in the Musée du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac in Paris, classified as a "national treasure" by the French government. It has not been returned to Benin despite repeated requests.

Can I see the thrones in the Abomey museum? Yes. The Abomey Historical Museum displays Ghezo's complete throne, the fragments of Behanzin's throne, and the early thrones of Houegbadja, Akaba, and Agaja in the courtyard. The museum is open daily.

How many Dahomey thrones still exist? At least seven complete or partial thrones survive: Glele's (in Paris), Ghezo's (in Abomey), Behanzin's fragments (in Abomey), Agoli-Agbo's (in the royal residence), and three early thrones in the museum courtyard. Others may exist in private collections or other museums.

Why are the thrones not all in Benin? The thrones were taken by French colonial forces during the conquest of Dahomey (1892-1894). Some were acquired by individual officers as war trophies and later donated to French museums. The main collection entered the Musée du Quai Branly through colonial-era acquisitions and donations.

Is France returning the thrones? France returned 26 objects to Benin in 2021, but these did not include Glele's throne. The throne is classified as a "national treasure" under French law, which requires a special act of parliament to deaccession. Negotiations continue between the Beninese and French governments.

CTA

Visit Abomey: The Abomey Historical Museum is the best place to see the surviving thrones of Dahomey. Plan your visit with the guide to Abomey.

See the bas-reliefs: The thrones are part of a larger visual language. The bas-reliefs of Abomey tell the same story in painted clay.

Understand restitution: The debate over Glele's throne is part of a larger question about African heritage in European museums. Read the Dahomey treasures restitution article for the full context.

Visit the Quai Branly: If you are in Paris, see Glele's throne at the Musée du Quai Branly. Judge for yourself whether the context provided does justice to its meaning.

Follow the restitution news: The status of Glele's throne could change at any time. Subscribe to updates from the Beninese Ministry of Culture or follow visit Abomey for news.