Skull of Malagasy King Returns to Madagascar After Almost 130 Years in France

27 August 2025

allAfrica.com

The skull of a Malagasy king, King Toera, and those of two other members of his court, who were killed and decapitated by French troops in 1897 during colonial rule, have been formally returned to Madagascar.

The handover took place at a ceremony at France's culture ministry in Paris, marking the first restitution under a new law designed to fast-track the return of human remains. It is the first use of a new law meant to expedite the return of human remains from collections in France.

The skulls, stored for nearly 130 years at the Museum of Natural History, had been taken to France in the context of colonial violence. There was no DNA proof that the skull is King Toera's, and tests carried out several years ago were inconclusive.

However, a Sakalava spirit medium confirmed the skull as that of the monarch. Madagascar's Culture Minister, Volamiranty Donna Mara, welcomed the return, saying the return of skulls was a "significant gesture."