US EditionSotheby's Postpones Auction of Buddhist Relics Following India's Legal Action
- Sotheby's postponed an auction in Hong Kong on jewels linked to the Buddha's remains after opposition from India's government on May 7, 2025.
- The auction controversy arose because the gems were excavated in 1898 in northern India by a British colonial engineer, William Claxton Peppé.
- The gems, including amethysts, pearls, carnelians, shell, and gold sheets, are considered sacred relics by Buddhists and date from around 240–200 BCE.
- India's Ministry of Culture issued a legal notice demanding the auction's immediate halt to ensure compliance with laws and called for the relics' repatriation as part of cultural heritage.
- The postponement allows discussions between Sotheby's, consignors, and Indian authorities, signaling potential cooperation to address the auction's cultural and legal concerns.
89 Articles
89 Articles
Auction of Gems Found With Buddha's Remains Called Off
Sotheby's has postponed the planned auction of a collection of jewels found with what are believed to have been the cremated remains of Buddha. The sale, scheduled for May 7, was criticized by the Indian government and Buddhist leaders, reports the BBC . Nearly 1,800 items, including gemstones and patterned...
Sotheby's Auction of Sacred Gemstones Found Next to Buddha’s Ashes is Halted as India Intervenes
Sotheby’s has halted their planned auction of a cache of gemstones that were found alongside the Buddha’s ashes and bone fragments after a formal complaint was raised by the Indian government. Known as the Buddha’s “gem relics,” those that were up for sale were a portion of the original archaeological discovery of 1,800 stones found […] The post Sotheby’s Auction of Sacred Gemstones Found Next to Buddha’s Ashes is Halted as India Intervenes appe…
Sotheby’s postpones auction of Buddhist relics
The jewels are delicate, some just millimetres in length, arranged in intricate patterns of circles and lines. Taken from British-occupied India in 1898, they were discovered alongside bone and ash, said to be the remains of Buddha.
Buddha's jewels dubbed sacred, swerve auction
Auction house Sotheby's said on Wednesday that it had postponed the auction of a collection of hundreds of jewels linked to Buddha's corporeal relics after India's government threatened legal action and demanded the jewels be returned, reported Reuters. The sale of the collection, known as the Piprahwa Gems of the Historical Buddha Mauryan Empire, Ashokan Era, circa 240-200 BCE, has drawn criticism from Buddhist academics and monastic leaders. I…
Sotheby's Hong Kong postpones auction of Buddhist relics after India's objection, says culture ministry
New Delhi, May 7 (PTI) India on Wednesday said it has “secured the postponement” of an auction by Sotheby’s Hong Kong of a portion of the sacred Buddhist relics that were excavated in the northern parts of the country in 1898. The Ministry of Culture said this in a statement. The auction was scheduled for […]
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