India’s Ministry of Culture has initiated measures to halt the auction of Piprahwa relics, linked to Lord Buddha, scheduled by Sotheby’s Hong Kong. The artifacts, excavated in 1898 from the Piprahwa Stupa in Uttar Pradesh, include bone fragments and caskets. The site is closely associated with Buddha’s early life.
Classified as ‘AA’ antiquities under Indian law, the relics are prohibited from sale or export. While some were transferred to the Indian Museum, Kolkata, in 1899, a portion retained by the family of British excavator William Claxton Peppé has been listed for auction.
The ministry issued a legal notice to Sotheby’s and directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to request intervention via Hong Kong’s Consulate General.
During a bilateral meeting with UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy on May 2, Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat emphasised the relics’ significance and sought repatriation efforts.
A high-level meeting on May 5 outlined further steps, including engagement by the Ministry of External Affairs with embassies in the UK and Hong Kong.
The Financial Investigation Unit (FIU) will collaborate with Hong Kong authorities to enforce international laws.
The Indian government issued a detailed legal notice to Sotheby’s Hong Kong and Chris Peppé, descendant of British colonial excavator William Claxton Peppé. The Ministry of Culture called the sale a “violation of Indian law, international conventions, and the sanctity of Buddhist heritage,” demanding immediate cancellation and repatriation.
The notice asserts the relics are “inalienable religious and cultural heritage” protected under India’s Antiquities and Art Treasures Act (1972), which designates them as ‘AA’-grade antiquities. It clarifies that while some relics were transferred to Kolkata’s Indian Museum in 1899 and others gifted to the King of Siam, the Peppé family retained items erroneously labeled as “duplicate jewels” under temporary custodianship.
“The term ‘duplicate’ is historically and religiously inaccurate,” the notice reads, citing Brahmi inscriptions confirming the relics were interred by the Sakya clan as offerings to the Buddha.
“These sacred grave goods are inseparable from the Buddha’s remains. To commodify them violates Buddhist theology and international ethical norms.”
Challenging Sotheby’s description of the Peppé family as “custodians,” the notice states, “Custodianship does not grant rights to alienate or misappropriate assets. The relics belong to the Buddha, the Sakya clan, and India, where the stupa stands.”
It references a 2004 Sunday Times report revealing the relics were “forgotten in a shoebox at the bottom of a cabinet,” countering claims of reverent preservation. “Monetizing custodianship through publicity and exhibition contradicts the sacred responsibility entrusted to custodians,” the notice adds.
Under Indian law, the relics are classified as state property under the Ancient Monuments Act (1958) and the Treasure Trove Act (1878), which vested ownership with the colonial government at the time of excavation.
“Mr. Peppé was granted temporary custody, not ownership. India’s post-independence laws affirm the state’s sole rights over such antiquities,” the notice states.
Internationally, it invokes the UNESCO 1970 Convention (ratified by India and China/Hong Kong) and the UNIDROIT 1995 Convention, which mandate the return of illegally exported cultural property.
“No legal export documentation exists for these relics. Their sale contravenes Article 3 of UNIDROIT, requiring repatriation of illicitly removed artifacts,” it adds.
The ministry cites precedents, including the 1952 return of Sanchi Stupa relics from the UK’s Victoria & Albert Museum and the ongoing repatriation of Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, to underscore a “global ethical shift” against colonial-era acquisitions.
“Just as the Benin Bronzes symbolize the suffering of the Edo people, these relics represent the spiritual legacy of millions of Buddhists. Their sale perpetuates colonial injustice,” the notice argues.
Highlighting religious sensitivities, the document quotes the International Council of Museums (ICOM) Code of Ethics, which requires museums to handle sacred materials “in a manner consistent with the beliefs of their communities of origin.”
It condemns the auction as “an affront to 500 million Buddhists,” noting objections from groups like the British Maha Bodhi Society.
“The Buddha’s relics are not art market commodities but objects of veneration. Their sale desecrates a global spiritual legacy,” the notice states. Ethical concerns are amplified by comparisons to halted auctions, such as Sotheby’s 2019 withdrawal of an Egyptian artifact after looting claims and the 2024 Graceland Auction controversy.
“Auction houses have a duty to avoid profiting from contested heritage,” the notice says, accusing Sotheby’s of “condoning grave robbery and colonial exploitation.”
India demands Sotheby’s immediately cancel the auction, repatriate the relics through diplomatic channels, issue a public apology, and disclose all provenance documents and details of relics held by the Peppé family. Non-compliance risks “legal action in Indian and Hong Kong courts, UNESCO interventions, and global advocacy campaigns exposing Sotheby’s role in cultural commodification.”
The Ministry expressed openness to negotiations but warned, “The relics’ sanctity cannot be bargained. Their return is non-negotiable.” Sotheby’s Associate General Counsel Ivy Wong acknowledged the notice, stating, “Full attention is given to this matter.”
The auction remains scheduled for Wednesday at 10:30am in Hong Kong. (Hindustan Times)
