A call has been made by a peer for a change in the law following an auction listing that included human and ancestral remains for sale, such as shrunken heads and skulls from various parts of the world. Among the items up for sale by Swan Fine Art in Tetsworth, Oxfordshire were skulls from the Ekoi people of West Africa, shrunken heads from the Jivaro people of South America, and a horned human skull from the Naga people of India and Myanmar. This prompted outrage and condemnation from groups including the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR), labeling it as an act of dehumanisation and colonial violence. The auction house subsequently removed the items from sale in response to the backlash.
Lord Paul Boateng, who also serves as the honorary president of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Africa, expressed strong disapproval of the proposed sale, describing it as “outrageous and grossly disrespectful.” He emphasised that the commoditisation and objectification of people of colour, even after death, is unacceptable in the modern era. Lord Boateng called for new laws to address this issue, stating that legislation should prevent the sale of human and ancestral remains, drawing a parallel with protections in place for other natural elements like coral.
The criticism extended to the auction also drew attention from FNR, a group advocating for the rights of indigenous peoples in India, who condemned the practice of selling indigenous ancestral remains as items for collectors. Nagaland’s chief minister also called upon the Indian government to intervene in the matter, highlighting how the auction perpetuates racist and colonial stereotypes of the Naga people.
Jabeer Butt, CEO of the Race Equality Foundation, echoed the sentiment for repatriation of the remains, decrying the continuing sale as shocking and highlighting the colonial exploitation underlying such transactions. In a similar context, in the past, UK auctioneers have faced backlash for selling human remains from various ancient communities worldwide, with auctions of Ancient Egyptian skulls at Semley Auctioneers earlier in the year also drawing criticism.
The Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, which is considering the repatriation of some ancestral remains it currently holds, removed its collection of human remains in 2020 as part of a decolonisation initiative. The museum’s director and others have spoken out against the auctioning of human and ancestral remains, labelling it as unethical and calling for an end to such practices.
Efforts to engage with Swan Fine Art and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for comment on the matter are ongoing. This incident underscores ongoing debates and concerns regarding the treatment and sale of human remains from various communities worldwide, highlighting the need for ethical considerations and legal safeguards to prevent further disrespect and exploitation.