What Is The Controversy Around India's 'Naga Human Skull' Sale In UK?

The description of the auction lot read, "This piece would be of particular interest to collectors with a focus on anthropology and tribal cultures."

A picture of the Naga Human Skull now taken down from the auction website.

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A UK auction house has withdrawn a 'Naga Human Skull' from its lots for a live online sale after an outcry in India, with the owner of the auction house saying that the action was taken to "respect the feelings" of all those involved.

"We listened to the views expressed and even though it was legal to proceed with the sale, we decided to withdraw the lot as we did not want to cause anyone any upset," Tom Keane, proprietor of The Swan in Tetsworth.

What Is The Controversy

The Swan auction house at Tetsworth in Oxfordshire had a series of skulls and other remains originating from around the world as part of ‘The Curious Collector Sale, Antiquarian Books, Manuscripts & Paintings. The '19th Century Horned Naga Human Skull, Naga Tribe' was slotted as Lot No. 64 and resulted in protests in Nagaland. The protests were led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio who sought the intervention of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to stop the "hurtful sale".

Rio in his letter said the news of the proposed auction of Naga human remains in the UK has been received by all sections in a negative manner. He said it is a highly emotional and sacred issue for the people of the state. "It has been a traditional custom of our people to give the highest respect and honour for the remains of the demised," Rio added in his letter.

He urged the external affairs minister to take up the matter with the High Commission of India in London so that steps are taken to ensure that the auction of the skull can be stopped after the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) raised concerns over the matter.

The description of the auction lot read, "This piece would be of particular interest to collectors with a focus on anthropology and tribal cultures." It is listed for an opening bid of GBP 2,100 (Rs 2.30 lakh approximately) with the auctioneer's estimate expecting it to fetch as much as GBP 4,000 (Rs 4.39 lakh approximately). Its provenance is traced back to the collection of 19th century Belgian architect Francois Coppens.

Laura Van Broekhoven, director of the museum, was alerted by the BBC that human remains of Naga, Shuar, Dayak, Kota, Fon, Vili people and other communities in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Nigeria, Congo, and Benin were being auctioned.

"We are relieved to hear that the auction house has now removed all human remains from today’s sale and hope that the widespread comments and criticism from communities around the world have demonstrated that the sale of ancestral remains is offensive and unacceptable," Professor Van Broekhoven said in a statement.

She added that as an institution that stewards many human remains, they are conscious of the hurt and pain the removal of human remains has caused to communities across the globe.

"It is highly unethical to auction the remains of ancestors of communities which were taken without the consent of those communities. This continues the harm that started during colonial times (where our museum has its foundations) and it leads to outrage and sadness among communities that today continue to live under very difficult circumstances," she said.