Replica of Seychelles' historic Stone of Possession unveiled |02 November 2023

Guests in a souvenir photograph after the unveiling of the replica

A replica of the Stone of Possession (Pierre de Possession) was officially unveiled yesterday morning at La Poudriѐre Road marking exactly 267 years since the French took possession of the island of Mahé in 1756 and officially declared it a French colony.

The replica is the work of local artist James Auguste.

The Stone of Possession is a very important object with a complex design, mortifying the Fleur de Lys which is represented on the traditional coat of arms of France.

The stone itself measures approximately 57cm by 57cm with the Fleur de Lys engraved in the stone, which signified that France had taken pre-emptive possession of the islands.

The unveiling was officially done by the Seychelles National Heritage Resource Council and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (Icomos).

In his speech, the secretary general for the Seychelles National Institute of Culture, Heritage and the Arts, David Andre, stated that the unveiling of the replica marks a significant event in the country’s history.

“One that formally brought the archipelago within the French empire. It especially recognised the port as a safe and strategic waystation or anchorage and refuge for French vessels travelling from the islands of Ile de France and Bourbon, to the French colonies of India.”

He noted that the importance of these islands to France would become even more obvious in the wars that would erupt between Britain and France in the closing decade of the 18thcentury and the first few years of the 19th century.

SG Andre recognised that the Stone of Possession was the first man-made structure to be implanted on these islands, in recorded history. This would lead, 15 years later, to the settlements of the islands of St Anne and Mahé.

“While Nicholas Morphey could have predicted that settlers would come in to set up their habitation on these shores, he could have never foreseen that in 220 years a new free and proud nation would arise and shake off its colonial status.”

The ceremony concluded with a drum and bugle sequence by Darren Bonnelame as President Wavel Ramkalawan and SG Andre and artist James Auguste inaugurated the replica.

Seychelles NATION spoke to Mr Auguste, who has produced the replica free of charge. He explained he did not ask for money for this work, because an artist can have two choices; either to do something unique or to be under pressure because of the commercial side of art.

“I do not want to be that. I want to be free and not to be attached to any organisation. Just do it,” he stated, adding the end product would always speak for itself.

The artist said he has been researching about the stone for 21 years now, starting back in 1992. According to him, working on artifacts such as doing replicas, allows him to express his inner world. He said it was a challenging work with several obstacles, which were overcome to produce the replica of the Stone of Possession.

It should be noted that the original can be seen in the National Museum of History.

Sunny Esparon

Photos by Joena Meme