French museum questions legitimacy of colonial-era acquisition, including necklace from Sétif tomb

An investigation by FranceInfo highlights French museums' efforts to trace the provenance of their collections, particularly concerning objects acquired during the colonial period. The director of the Angoulême museum, Émilie Salaberry, expressed strong doubts about the legitimate acquisition of a collection of 3,200 items, including a necklace characteristic of West Africa and the Maghreb. This collection was bequeathed in the 1930s by Dr. Lhomme, a Charente physician who reportedly never traveled. Salaberry suspects the necklace was stolen from a tomb in Sétif by a French lieutenant who then donated it to Dr. Lhomme, a detail traced in recently discovered correspondence. This inquiry coincides with the French Parliament's review of a law regarding the restitution of colonial-era cultural property. While the bill, adopted in its first reading by the French National Assembly, aims to facilitate the return of certain cultural goods, its scope for Algeria is limited. Prominent items requested by Algeria, such as Emir Abd El-Kader's saber or the Baba Merzoug cannon, are not covered by this law. However, other objects like the Emir's caftan, manuscripts, pennants, and the key to the city of Laghouat could be restituted.