Djidji Ayokwe returns to its community of origin

Abidjan – 08.08.2026: Djidji Ayokwe, the great sacred talking drum of the Atchan people, was received and publicly presented in its community of origin in Abidjan on Friday. The ceremony took place on 7 August, the Independence Day of Côte d’Ivoire. After more than a century in France, an object returned that is far more than a museum piece to the community.

The drum, around four metres long and weighing roughly 430 kilograms, is then to be taken to the Musee des Civilisations de Cote d’Ivoire in Abidjan. There, it is intended as the central exhibit in a renewed presentation. Its display requires particular care: the instrument, made of iroko wood, was part of a social and ritual order and was not created as a decorative object for a display case.

Talking drums convey messages through changing pitches and rhythms, whose meaning is linked to linguistic and cultural conventions. Djidji Ayokwe was used by the Atchan to alert the community and communicate ritual messages. Its sound language connected several locations in the area of present-day Abidjan. The fact that the drum was first brought to its community of origin before going to the museum acknowledges this function.

French colonial authorities confiscated Djidji Ayokwe in Adjamé in 1916, as the administration sought to crush local resistance through violence and coercive measures. The instrument later made its way to France and became part of state collections. Most recently, it was held at the Musee du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris. The circumstances of its removal were examined through provenance research and discussions with the community of origin.

Its return was made possible by a French law of 16 July 2025, which created an exception for Djidji Ayokwe to the principle that public collections cannot be disposed of. France officially handed over the drum to the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire in February 2026; it arrived in Abidjan in March. This followed years of demands from the Ivorian side and the Bidjan community.

The ceremony linked national independence with the return of a cultural asset forcibly taken under colonial rule. Restitution does not erase that experience. However, it changes responsibility for preservation, interpretation and public education: in future, the story of the drum will primarily be told where it originated.

This creates a demanding conservation and educational task for the museum in Abidjan. UNESCO is supporting this work with funding for training, research and public education. Djidji Ayokwe is to be presented there together with its origin, its sacred significance and the story of its return.