Reclaiming a Drum: A Century‑Old Return to the Ivory Coast

For more than a hundred years, a giant drum that once echoed through the villages of the Ebrié people was kept far from its homeland.

French soldiers seized the instrument in 1916, then shipped it to Paris where it sat on museum shelves for decades.

Now the drum, known locally as Djidji Ayôkwé or “Panther Lion,” has finally arrived in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast.

The return is part of France’s larger project to bring back cultural treasures taken during colonial rule, a program that began in 2017.

The drum is over ten feet long, weighs more than four hundred kilos, and is carved from sturdy iroko wood.

At the airport, a group of dancers and community leaders welcomed it with songs and ceremony.

Officials say the drum will be displayed in a prominent spot inside the national museum to honor its significance.

For the Ebrié people, the drum was once a warning system and a rallying call for battle or celebration.

France passed a special law in February that authorized the return of this and many other items to their countries of origin.