The four doors of the royal palace of Abomey were commissioned by King Glélé (r. 1858 – 1889), and carved by the court sculptor, Sossa Dede. They may have come from the king’s reception building and council chamber, the “Ajalala”, or according to another interpretation, they were intended for Glélé’s tomb.
The figurative carvings are symbols representing several kings of Dahomey.
For example, the frogs placed on the corners of each register are the emblem that refers to king Glélé, as well as the spotted antelope (his protective spirit) and the hornbill.
The elephant, the horse, the sword and the axe evoke king Ghézo, while the human nose and eyes refer to king Tegbessou.
The upper panels of the second double door depict a chameleon walking on a thread stretched between the moon and the sun, the symbol of the deity Lisa.
They were looted during the French conquest of the Dahomeyan capital in 1892 and shipped to France where they were kept in the Musée d’ethnographie du Trocadéro, ultimately transferred to the Musée du Quai Branly. In November 2021, along with more than 20 other works, the doors were finally returned to the Republic of Benin.
