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A human skull that had possibly been used as a ballot box was withdrawn from sale by a New York City auction house. It was thought to have been used by Yale's elite Skull and Bones secret society.
Christie's affirms that the 19th century skull has been removed from the Jan. 22 sale due to a title claim. The auction house declined to make any further comment.
The skull was estimated to sell for $10,000 to $20,000. Christie's only identified the seller as a European art collector. The skull is thought to have been used during voting at the secret society's meetings. It is fitted with a hinged flap.
There has been no comment as to why the skull was put up for auction.
The Skull and Bones was formed in 1832 and its publicly declared members, known as Bonesmen, include both President George Bush and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry. Bush males have been Yale men for generations and all Bonesmen.
According to Wikipedia Skull and Bones is the oldest of the secret societies at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut.
Skull and Bones remained an all male society until 1991, even though Yale became coeducational. An argument erupted over admitting the first 7 females.
The members aim for personal and collective growth, meeting together every Thursday and Sunday night in their senior year. They are given nicknames. When George W. Bush was asked to choose a nickname for himself, nothing came to mind. He was then given the name ‘Temporary’
While George Bush Jnr publicly made a point of his disdain for the elite northeastern connections which formed his father’s world, George Bush senior held his fellow Bonesmen in high esteem.
Skull and Bones has a practice known as ‘crooking’
A clock in the ‘Tomb’ the home of the Skull and Bones is kept five minutes ahead of the time in the rest of the world. This is known as Skill and Bones time. The society is well known as being a ‘dry’ society, for its ban on the consumption of alcohol, at its society meetings.
Up until the 1970s the list of membership names were published in newspapers and yearbooks. Fewer than 10% of Yale’s 1,400 seniors are members of Yale’s secret societies.
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