Sotheby's Halts Sale of Sacred Buddha Gems
May 11, 25
(IDEX Online) - Sotheby's halted the sale of sacred jewels linked to Buddha's remains at the last minute, after threats of legal action by the Indian government.
The auction had been scheduled for last Wednesday (7 May) in Hong Kong.
The collection of almost 1,800 gems, including rubies, topaz and sapphires, as well as patterned gold sheets, was discovered in 1898 by William Claxton Peppe, an English estate manager working in India.
The treasures, dating back almost 2,000 years, were found at a dome-shaped stupa, or burial monument, at Piprahwa, close to where Buddha is believed to have been born.
The Indian government wrote to Sotheby's on 5 May, two days before the sale.
It said the relics represented part of the "inalienable religious and cultural heritage of India and the global Buddhist community.
"Their sale violates Indian and international laws, as well as United Nations conventions."
It said selling the collection would cause great offense to the world's 500m Buddhists.
Links to the sale of the Piprahwa Gems of the Historical Buddha Mauryan Empire, Ashokan Era, circa 240-200 BCE, have been removed from the Sotheby's website.
In a statement the auction house said the auction had been postponed with the agreement of the (unnamed) consignors.
"This will allow for discussions between the parties, and we look forward to sharing any updates as appropriate," it said.
Pic, courtesy Sotheby's, shows part of the Piprahwa Gems collection.