A UK auction house has decided to withdraw the controversial ‘Naga Human Skull’ from its upcoming live online sale, following widespread protests and outrage from various Indian communities advocating for its repatriation. The decision comes after the skull, which is approximately 200 years old and part of a larger collection of human remains, was listed for auction by the Swan auction house in Tetsworth, Oxfordshire.
The auction, titled “The Curious Collector Sale, Antiquarian Books, Manuscripts & Paintings,” included a variety of skulls and artefacts from around the globe, with the Naga skull described as particularly appealing to collectors interested in anthropology and tribal cultures. The opening bid for the skull was set at GBP 2,100 (approximately ₹23 lakh), with estimates suggesting a final price of up to GBP 4,000 (around ₹43 lakh).
The listing triggered a wave of protests in Nagaland, led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio. He urged India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, to intervene and halt the sale, highlighting that the auction of human remains is a “highly emotional and sacred issue” for the Naga people. “It has been a traditional custom of our people to give the highest respect and honour for the remains of the demised,” Rio stated.
The controversy surrounding the skull’s auction is rooted in its historical context. The skull’s history can be traced back to 19th-century Belgian architect Francois Coppens. The Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR), which expressed significant concern over the auction, argues that the sale violates Article 15 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), emphasizing the rights of Indigenous peoples to maintain their cultural heritage and dignity.
In response to the uproar, the FNR contacted the auction house, condemning the sale and demanding the skull’s repatriation to Nagaland. The organization is also in discussions with the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford regarding artefacts held by various Indigenous groups worldwide.
Laura Van Broekhoven, director of the Pitt Rivers Museum, criticized the sale of such items as “completely unethical.” Wati Aier, a Baptist priest and leader of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation, called on the UK to repatriate all the skulls to their ancestral territories, arguing that the human remains symbolize the violence inflicted upon the Naga people during British colonial rule.
The auction house has not yet provided a detailed response to the protests, but the swift withdrawal of the skull indicates the growing pressure for ethical considerations surrounding the sale of Indigenous artefacts and human remains. As discussions continue, the fate of the Naga skull and similar artefacts remains a critical issue in the ongoing dialogue about colonial legacies and Indigenous rights.
Sources By Agencies