After receiving a legal notice from India’s Ministry of Culture on Monday evening, international auction house Sotheby’s assured the Indian government it would withdraw the sacred Piprahwa relics from its upcoming sale, The Indian Express reported. The auction was scheduled for May 7 on the auction house’s website.
Auction Cancellation Confirmed
The Ministry of Culture formally urged Sotheby’s Hong Kong to remove the relics from its catalogue and to assist Indian authorities in repatriating these items to their rightful home. An official told The Indian Express that India collected detailed information before dispatching the legal notice.
Piprahwa Relics’ Historical Significance
Discovered in 1898 by William Claxton Peppé at the Piprahwa Stupa—believed to mark the ancient city of Kapilavastu, Buddha’s birthplace—these relics include bone fragments, soapstone and crystal caskets, a sandstone box, and offerings like gold ornaments and gemstones. A Brahmi inscription on one casket identifies them as relics of the Buddha placed by the Sakya clan.
Listing Draws Global Attention
Sotheby’s had highlighted the relics on its website: “Sotheby’s is honoured to present the Piprahwa gems, appearing for the first time in Hong Kong. The 1898 discovery of these gems by William Claxton Peppé at Piprahwa in northern India… ranks among the most extraordinary archaeological discoveries of all time.”
Though the listing remains online, Sotheby’s officials assured prompt action following India’s intervention.
Legal Safeguards and Repatriation Efforts
Under Indian law, most relics from Piprahwa transferred to the Indian Museum in Kolkata in 1899 receive ‘AA’ antiquity status, banning their sale or export. The Ministry of Culture also served a notice to Chris Peppe, Peppé’s great-grandson, directing him to withdraw the relics and return them to India.
On Sotheby’s site, Chris Peppe explained:
“The Piprahwa gem relics were passed down from my great uncle to his son, and in 2013, they came to me and my two cousins. That’s when I began deeply researching the discovery made by my great-grandfather, William Claxton Peppé.”
With both Sotheby’s and Chris Peppe now faced with legal demands, India moves closer to reclaiming these priceless Buddhist artifacts.
