National Orders of Benin: what changes in the law put forward by the Vice-President

This bill, brought forward by the Vice President of the Republic and Chancellor of the national order, aims for a technical and aesthetic reorganization of the Order of Artisan Merit.

In form, the law precisely modifies the first article of the initial text to redefine the characteristics of the insignia, while the second article regulates the implementation of the new provisions.

Specifically, the changes result in a visual and material overhaul of the distinctions. The insignia of the Order of Artisan Merit will become circular medals with a diameter of forty millimeters. The front of the medal is now stamped with a laurel wreath, while the reverse bears the specific mention of the recipient’s profession. This medal is suspended from a metal bow in bronze, silver, or gold, depending on the grade, by a ribbon whose color strictly excludes green, yellow, and red.

The design incorporates strong symbolism where a mask, topped by a map of Benin, is anchored in the palm of a hand. This mask features a jar in place of the nose, from which a line extends two-thirds the length of the map, flanked on either side by six circular points. To ensure contrast, the eyes, the scars of the mask, the line, and the twelve circular points adopt a white color.

Finally, the inscription “Artisan Merit and Republic of Benin” is explicitly placed at the bottom of the mask.

According to the conclusions of the law commission, this artistic and technical revision serves two main objectives. On one hand, it significantly reduces the costs of producing the medals. On the other hand, it promotes a unified visual approach to represent all the various branches of the artisan sector in Benin.