The Indian Ministry of Culture has issued a stern warning to Sotheby's, demanding that an upcoming auction of jewels tied to Buddha’s remains be canceled. The auction, set for this Wednesday in Hong Kong, includes gems that were discovered buried with fragments of the Buddha's bones over a hundred years ago. The ministry argues that the sale contravenes both Indian and international laws, as well as United Nations conventions, highlighting that these items should be recognized as sacred relics.
The upcoming sale has drawn criticism from Buddhists and art scholars worldwide. In response, the Indian Ministry shared a letter on Instagram directed at Sotheby's and Chris Peppé, the great-grandson of the archaeologist William Claxton Peppé, who unearthed the relics in 1898. While Sotheby's acknowledged the legal notice and stated they were taking the matter seriously, India contends that Peppé has no legitimate authority to sell what they regard as significant cultural heritage, stating that allowing the auction is an act of "continued colonial exploitation."
The jewels were unearthed from the Piprahwa stupa, believed to be near Lumbini, Buddha's birthplace. Initial excavations revealed a treasure of nearly 1,800 gems and gold artifacts within a brick chamber. The original relics were entrusted to the British colonial government, which ultimately distributed them between the Indian Museum in Kolkata and the Buddhist King of Siam.
The Indian Ministry asserts that the gemstones cannot be simply dismissed as "duplicates," as claimed by the Peppé family, but must be acknowledged as an integral part of India's religious and cultural heritage. They argue that selling these jewels misappropriates the heritage, which they deem as "extraordinary." The ministry has demanded a public apology from both Sotheby’s and Chris Peppé, as well as full disclosure of all ownership records regarding the relics.
Failing to meet these requests could result in legal actions in both India and Hong Kong for violating cultural heritage laws. Furthermore, the ministry has threatened to embark on a public campaign if the auction proceeds, emphasizing that such actions contribute to historical injustices stemming from colonial rule.
In previous comments, Chris Peppé expressed that his family considered several avenues for donating the relics but found auctioning to be the most fair approach to transfer ownership to the Buddhist community. Over the last several years, the gems have been displayed in major exhibitions, including one at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2023. Nevertheless, the Indian ministry contends that the management surrounding these gems has financial motives, which detracts from their sacred significance.
