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https://theconversation.com/why-auction-of-buddha-relics-was-called-off-and-why-it-matters-an-expert-in-asian-art-explains-256379>
"The slick online catalogue entry for “Premium Lot 1, The Piprahwa Gems of the
Historical Buddha” on the Sotheby’s Hong Kong website was abruptly replaced on
May 7 with a single line notification: “The auction has been postponed.”
Shortly afterwards, the associated webpages went blank. The only evidence
remaining on Sotheby’s Hong Kong website was an entry on the Piprahwa gems’
history and a short YouTube promotional clip for the sale.
Sotheby’s had first announced its intention to auction the relics on February 6
2025. Discovered in northern India in 1898 and thought to date to the third
century BC, it was estimated they would fetch up to HK$100m (£9.7m). The
collection was consigned by Chris Peppé on behalf of his family, who had
inherited the relics from his great grandfather, William Caxton Peppé – a
19th-century British colonial landowner who owned an estate in India.
Reaction was muted at first, but as a scholar who researches the early history
and archaeology of Buddhism and issues surrounding loot and restitution, I was
gravely concerned by this proposed sale. Fortunately, I was not alone, and
thanks to detailed research of SOAS colleagues such as Conan Cheong, Ashley
Thompson and Thai academic Pipad Krajaejun, as well as protests from Buddhist
devotees worldwide, a groundswell of disapproval began to grow.
A letter sent to Sotheby’s by the British Maha Bodhi Society, and shared with
me, states:
Millions around the world, whether Buddhist or not, have religious and
ethical concerns and believe that the sale of sacred items is morally wrong
and offensive … Members of the Buddhist sangha [monkhood], as well as lay
followers from all traditions, are appalled that the gems offered in
devotional acts by the Buddha’s own clan, have been separated from his
corporeal remains and are now being sold to the highest bidder.
This disapproval turned into a tidal wave on May 5, two days before the planned
auction, with the intervention of the Indian government – which is now
threatening legal action against both Sotheby’s and the Peppé family, demanding
that the relics be repatriated to India.
In terms of his rights and those of his relatives to sell the relics, Chris
Peppé previously had told the
Guardian newspaper: “Legally, the ownership is
unchallenged.”
Sotheby’s confirmed to me that it and the Indian government are “currently in
discussions regarding the Piprahwa Gems of the Historical Buddha, and are
pleased to be working together to find the best possible outcome for all
parties”."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
