Nigeria - Statue - Nigeria (No reserve price)

Tiv bronze skull head from Nigeria. 60

The Tiv, Jukun, Chamba, and Mumuye are ethnic groups that are geographically close to one another. Smaller minority ethnic groups also gravitate around these well-known and recognized groups, geographically located in Taraba State, with Jalingo as the capital.

Before the arrival of European colonizers, the Tiv were known for loving to work the land, with a tendency to expand their cultivable territories beyond the limits imposed.

They eventually encroached on the lands of their Jukun neighbors, thus creating strong tensions.

At first a peaceful reconciliation was found: in exchange for a portion of their harvests the Jukun accepted the inconvenience caused.

But as the years passed, the new Tiv generations decided to 'forget' this arrangement. Their numerical superiority allowed them to generalize the spoliation of the Jukun without any further compensation.

Clashes broke out...

Another source claims that the fault actually lies with the Jukun, who one day refused to take their share of the cereals and demanded the restitution of the lands before a season of abundant harvests.

This was the start of a tribal war. Ultimately the Jukun managed to drive the Tiv from their lands.

But the Tiv, who had buried their families on Jukun lands, could no longer repatriate the remains. They tried to negotiate to have the right to honor their dead on the Jukun lands, but the latter no longer wanted to see Tiv on their lands, not even to organize funeral commemorations.