Sotheby’s has postponed the auction of sacred jewels linked to the Buddha’s remains in Hong Kong after the Indian government threatened legal action. The sale, which was set to include hundreds of precious artifacts, had sparked significant criticism from Buddhist scholars and leaders, who argued it would offend the global Buddhist community. India condemned the sale, calling it a violation of religious and cultural heritage laws.
Sotheby’s stated that the postponement would allow time for discussions between the involved parties. The relics, described as one of the most extraordinary archaeological finds of the modern era, were unearthed nearly 130 years ago by British official William Claxton Peppé in northern India, alongside bone fragments believed to be those of the Buddha.
The auction, which was scheduled for May 7, was to feature the “Piprahwa Gems of the Historical Buddha Mauryan Empire, Ashokan Era, circa 240-200 BCE.” In a letter sent just two days before the sale, the Indian government argued that the relics were “inalienable religious and cultural heritage” of India and the Buddhist world, and their sale violated both Indian and international laws, including United Nations conventions.
A high-level Indian government delegation held talks with Sotheby’s representatives on Tuesday, and in response, the auction house announced the suspension of the sale. The gems were removed from the auction listing, and the page promoting the sale was taken down from Sotheby’s website.
William Claxton Peppé, an English estate manager, had excavated the relics from a stupa at Piprahwa, near Lumbini, which is believed to be the birthplace of Buddha. His findings, uncovered in 1898, included nearly 1,800 gems—such as rubies, topaz, and sapphires—as well as patterned gold sheets stored in a brick chamber. This site is now located in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Sotheby’s had previously described the 1898 discovery as “among the most extraordinary archaeological discoveries of all time.”
