Sotheby’s postpones auction of jewels associated with Buddha after backlash from India’s government

This undated photo released by Sotheby's, shows the Pirprahwa Gems of the Historical Buddha. (Sotheby's via AP)

HONG KONG — Sotheby’s on Wednesday postponed an auction of jewels associated with Buddha’s remains after the Indian government opposed the sale and demanded it be halted.

The gems for auction 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 said.

But India’s Ministry of Culture said in a Facebook post on Tuesday 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.”

In its letter to Sotheby’s Hong Kong dated Monday, posted on Facebook, it said the auction involves sacred Buddhist relics that constitute 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 Peppé.

Peppé is a great-grandson of British William Peppé, 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.”

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 it was “pleased to inform” that the auction was postponed after its intervention.

Kanis Leung, The Associated Press