Indian legal threat postpones Sotheby's auction of Piprahwa Buddhist relics
Sotheby's postponed the auction of Piprahwa gems linked to the Buddha over a legal challenge from India. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
May 7 (UPI) -- Sotheby's Hong Kong auction of the Piprahwa gems linked to the Buddha, set for Wednesday, was postponed after India threatened legal action to repatriate the gems.
"The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, has successfully secured the postponement of the auction of the sacred Piprahwa Buddhist relics by Sotheby's Hong Kong, which was scheduled for May 7, 2025," India's Ministry of Culture said in a Wednesday statement.
The ministry said the Piprahwa Relics "were not ordinary artifacts but held sacred significance for millions of Buddhists worldwide."
The Indian statement added that the relics "rightfully belong to India, from where they were taken during the colonial era."
The ministry said it would engage all stakeholders to advance discussions on the repatriation of the relics to India.
"In light of the matters raised by the government of India and with the agreement of the consignors, the auction of the Piprahwa gems of the historical Buddha, scheduled for May 7, has been postponed. This will allow for discussions between the parties, and we look forward to sharing any updates as appropriate," Sotheby's said in a statement.
According to the ministry the Piprahwa Relics were excavated by William Claxton Peppe in 1898. The majority of the relics were transferred to the Indian Museum in Kolkata in 1899.
The ministry said they are classified as 'AA' antiquities under Indian law, which bans their removal or sale.
The gems that were to be auctioned by Chris Peppe are funerary gems.
The Indian government sent a legal notice letter to Sotheby's demanding the auction be stopped, citing the relics cultural and religious significance.
The letter said the sale "involves sacred Buddhist relics" that constitute "inalienable religious and cultural heritage of India and the global Buddhist community."
Sale of the relics, India said, "violates Indian and international laws, as well as United Nations conventions."
The Piprahwa Relics include 332 gems that were to have had a starting bid of nearly $13 million.
The relics consist of bone fragments, crystal and soapstone reliquaries as well as garnets, pearls, coral and amethysts.
India's culture ministry said they were excavated from the Piprahwa Stupa, widely recognized as the birthplace of Buddha, and "hold immense historical and spiritual significance."
The relics were found with ash and bones of the Buddha.
The British crown took custody of the vast majority of 1800 gems excavated by the Peppe family, but the family was allowed to keep a fifth of the gems.
Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published May 7, 2025 at 10:21 AM.
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