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Irish Examiner
07-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Sotheby's postpones auction of jewels linked to Buddha after backlash in India
Sotheby's has postponed an auction of jewels associated with Buddha's remains after the Indian government opposed the sale and demanded it be halted. The gems were found buried together in reliquaries with the corporeal relics of the historical Buddha and discovered in northern India in 1898, the auction house said. They dated back to around 240-200 BC, it added. But India's ministry of culture said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that it had issued a legal notice to Sotheby's Hong Kong to demand the immediate halt of the sale, accusing the auction of violating 'Indian laws, international norms and UN conventions'. The gems were excavated by British man William Peppe (Sotheby's via AP) In its letter to Sotheby's Hong Kong dated Monday, posted on Facebook, it said the auction involved sacred Buddhist relics that constituted the inalienable religious and cultural heritage of India and the global Buddhist community. It demanded the repatriation of the relics to the Indian government and a public apology from the auction house and Chris Peppe. Mr Peppe is a great-grandson of British man William Peppe, who excavated the relics. The Indian government warned in the letter that failure to comply would result in legal actions and public advocacy campaigns highlighting the auction house's role 'in perpetuating colonial injustice and becoming a party to unethical sale of religious relics'. India's ministry of culture demanded the repatriation of the relics to the Indian government (Sotheby's via AP) Sotheby's announced the postponement in a statement on Wednesday, acknowledging the matters raised by the Indian government and saying it was done with the agreement of the consignors. 'This will allow for discussions between the parties, and we look forward to sharing any updates as appropriate,' it said. Some of Sotheby's webpages about the auction were no longer available on Wednesday. The Indian ministry of culture said on Facebook on Wednesday that it was 'pleased to inform' that the auction had been postponed after its intervention.
South Wales Guardian
07-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Sotheby's postpones auction of jewels linked to Buddha after backlash in India
The gems were found buried together in reliquaries with the corporeal relics of the historical Buddha and discovered in northern India in 1898, the auction house said. They dated back to around 240-200 BC, it added. But India's ministry of culture said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that it had issued a legal notice to Sotheby's Hong Kong to demand the immediate halt of the sale, accusing the auction of violating 'Indian laws, international norms and UN conventions'. The gems were excavated by British man William Peppe (Sotheby's via AP) In its letter to Sotheby's Hong Kong dated Monday, posted on Facebook, it said the auction involved sacred Buddhist relics that constituted the inalienable religious and cultural heritage of India and the global Buddhist community. It demanded the repatriation of the relics to the Indian government and a public apology from the auction house and Chris Peppe. Mr Peppe is a great-grandson of British man William Peppe, who excavated the relics. The Indian government warned in the letter that failure to comply would result in legal actions and public advocacy campaigns highlighting the auction house's role 'in perpetuating colonial injustice and becoming a party to unethical sale of religious relics'. India's ministry of culture demanded the repatriation of the relics to the Indian government (Sotheby's via AP) Sotheby's announced the postponement in a statement on Wednesday, acknowledging the matters raised by the Indian government and saying it was done with the agreement of the consignors. 'This will allow for discussions between the parties, and we look forward to sharing any updates as appropriate,' it said. Some of Sotheby's webpages about the auction were no longer available on Wednesday. The Indian ministry of culture said on Facebook on Wednesday that it was 'pleased to inform' that the auction had been postponed after its intervention.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sotheby's postpones auction of jewels linked to Buddha after backlash in India
Sotheby's postpones auction of jewels linked to Buddha after backlash in India Sotheby's has postponed an auction of jewels associated with Buddha's remains after the Indian government opposed the sale and demanded it be halted. The gems were found buried together in reliquaries with the corporeal relics of the historical Buddha and discovered in northern India in 1898, the auction house said. They dated back to around 240-200 BC, it added. But India's ministry of culture said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that it had issued a legal notice to Sotheby's Hong Kong to demand the immediate halt of the sale, accusing the auction of violating 'Indian laws, international norms and UN conventions'. The gems were excavated by British man William Peppe (Sotheby's via AP) In its letter to Sotheby's Hong Kong dated Monday, posted on Facebook, it said the auction involved sacred Buddhist relics that constituted the inalienable religious and cultural heritage of India and the global Buddhist community. It demanded the repatriation of the relics to the Indian government and a public apology from the auction house and Chris Peppe. ADVERTISEMENT Mr Peppe is a great-grandson of British man William Peppe, who excavated the relics. The Indian government warned in the letter that failure to comply would result in legal actions and public advocacy campaigns highlighting the auction house's role 'in perpetuating colonial injustice and becoming a party to unethical sale of religious relics'. India's ministry of culture demanded the repatriation of the relics to the Indian government (Sotheby's via AP) Sotheby's announced the postponement in a statement on Wednesday, acknowledging the matters raised by the Indian government and saying it was done with the agreement of the consignors. 'This will allow for discussions between the parties, and we look forward to sharing any updates as appropriate,' it said. Some of Sotheby's webpages about the auction were no longer available on Wednesday. The Indian ministry of culture said on Facebook on Wednesday that it was 'pleased to inform' that the auction had been postponed after its intervention.
BreakingNews.ie
07-05-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Sotheby's postpones auction of jewels linked to Buddha after backlash in India
Sotheby's has postponed an auction of jewels associated with Buddha's remains after the Indian government opposed the sale and demanded it be halted. The gems were found buried together in reliquaries with the corporeal relics of the historical Buddha and discovered in northern India in 1898, the auction house said. They dated back to around 240-200 BC, it added. Advertisement But India's ministry of culture said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that it had issued a legal notice to Sotheby's Hong Kong to demand the immediate halt of the sale, accusing the auction of violating 'Indian laws, international norms and UN conventions'. The gems were excavated by British man William Peppe (Sotheby's via AP) In its letter to Sotheby's Hong Kong dated Monday, posted on Facebook, it said the auction involved sacred Buddhist relics that constituted the inalienable religious and cultural heritage of India and the global Buddhist community. It demanded the repatriation of the relics to the Indian government and a public apology from the auction house and Chris Peppe. Mr Peppe is a great-grandson of British man William Peppe, who excavated the relics. The Indian government warned in the letter that failure to comply would result in legal actions and public advocacy campaigns highlighting the auction house's role 'in perpetuating colonial injustice and becoming a party to unethical sale of religious relics'. Advertisement India's ministry of culture demanded the repatriation of the relics to the Indian government (Sotheby's via AP) Sotheby's announced the postponement in a statement on Wednesday, acknowledging the matters raised by the Indian government and saying it was done with the agreement of the consignors. 'This will allow for discussions between the parties, and we look forward to sharing any updates as appropriate,' it said. Some of Sotheby's webpages about the auction were no longer available on Wednesday. The Indian ministry of culture said on Facebook on Wednesday that it was 'pleased to inform' that the auction had been postponed after its intervention. Advertisement
Malay Mail
07-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Under pressure from India, Sotheby's halts auction of purported Buddha relics in Hong Kong
HONG KONG, May 7 — Sotheby's in Hong Kong postponed an auction of gems with ties to early Buddhism today after opposition from India, which said the jewels were the country's religious and cultural heritage. The Piprahwa gems, which the auction house said dated back to around 200 BC and were unearthed in 1898 by Englishman William Claxton Peppe in northern India, were scheduled to go under the hammer in Hong Kong today. The Indian Ministry of Culture issued a legal notice on Monday calling the jewels 'inalienable religious and cultural heritage of India and the global Buddhist community' and said the sale violated Indian and international law. It asked for the auction to be cancelled and the jewels repatriated to India, as well as an apology and full disclosure of provenance documents, according to the notice posted on X. Sotheby's said this morning that the auction has been postponed 'in light of the matters raised by the Government of India and with the agreement of the consignors'. 'This will allow for discussions between the parties, and we look forward to sharing any updates as appropriate,' the auction house said in a statement. Sotheby's said the night before that the auction would 'proceed as planned'. The Indian Ministry of Culture wrote on X that it was 'pleased to inform' readers that the auction was postponed following its intervention. The gems in the Hong Kong auction were part of a collection of close to 1,800 gems and precious metal sheets — including amethysts, pearls and gold pieces worked into small beads. They were excavated at the Piprahwa village near the Buddha's birthplace and have been attributed to a clan linked to the religious figure. Indian authorities said an inscription on one of the caskets confirms the contents — which include bone fragments — as 'relics of the Buddha, deposited by the Sakya clan'. In an article written for Sotheby's, Chris Peppe said his ancestor 'gave the gems, the relics and the reliquaries to the Indian government' and that his family kept 'a small portion' of the discovery. — AFP
