On 5th May, 2025, the Ministry of Culture under the Government of India issued a legal notice to Sotheby’s and Mr. Chris Peppé demanding the immediate halt of the auction titled "The Piprahwa Gems of the Historical Buddha, Mauryan Empire, Ashokan Era, circa 240-200 BCE," set for May 7, 2025, in Hong Kong. ^[1] The Indian government also demanded the immediate repatriation of these gems, closely associated with the holy relics of Lord Buddha, to India.

The addressee no. 1 of the legal notice, Sotheby’s, is a remnant of Pax Britannica. The Sotheby’s were established at the height of the diabolical colonial era in London in the 18th century. Sotheby’s now likes to call itself the auctioneers of exceptional art and luxury, but in reality, they have a long, questionable history of auctioning illegally collated artifacts. In February 1997, employees of Sotheby’s tried to smuggle antiquities from India to London for auction. ^[2] In the same year, Sotheby’s officials were caught smuggling an old painting from Italy to London to sell it at an inflated price. ^[3]

Sotheby’s in the past has targeted the cultural artifacts of countries that are embroiled in civil unrest and wars. The Sotheby’s New York branch tried to illegally auction a 10th-century CE Duryodhana statue from Cambodia in 2012. ^[4] The statue was illegally taken out from the Prasat Chen Temple in Koh Ker in northern Cambodia sometime in the 1960s or early 1970s, when the country was not only facing civil unrest but was also extensively bombed by the United States of America. The Sotheby’s New York officials who were in charge of the auction were aware of the fact that the Duryodhana statue was stolen from Koh Ker in Cambodia, ^[5] yet they didn’t try to stop the auction on their own.

Sotheby’s also has a track record of auctioning artifacts pillaged by former colonial powers such as the United Kingdom from their erstwhile colonies. In the colonial period, countless numbers of cultural and religious objects were removed from the colonized world, often under legally sanctioned but morally dubious circumstances. One such case involved the proposed sale of ‘Benin Masks’ from Nigeria. The Nigerian government heavily criticized the proposed sale of its cultural heritage on the auction tables of its former colonizer. These masks, like the Piprahwa gems, are currently owned by descendants of a British government official who actively participated in the 1897 British invasion of Benin, a historic city-state in present-day Nigeria. ^[6] The specific mask that Sotheby’s tried to auction is considered one of the last great masterpieces of Benin sculpture still in private hands. It is believed to have been worn by the "Oba", or king of Benin, on ceremonial occasions. Colonial loot is the only reason why the cultural heritage of a nation ends up in the hands of private collectors. Today, the presence of cultural artifacts in museums or private collections across Europe and North America remains the subject of growing repatriation campaigns.

In recent years, Sotheby’s has increasingly tried to fill its coffers by auctioning artifacts that were acquired illegally. In June 2020, Greece put legal pressure on Sotheby’s to win back a 2,700-year-old bronze statuette. ^[7] In December 2021, Sotheby’s London was again accused of selling artifacts acquired through illicit excavations in Italy. ^[8] A year later, in December 2022, the Sotheby’s London auction house was under fire for allegedly peddling looted art. ^[9] Sotheby’s moral stature can be gauged by their desire to make money out of rhino horns^[10] and looted holocaust masterpieces. ^[11]

Addressee no. 2 of the legal notice, Mr. Chris Peppé, is a direct descendant of Mr. William Claxton Peppé, a British colonial hoarder of plundered cultural artifacts. In a recent self-authored, egotistical article published on Sotheby’s website, Mr. Chris Peppé characterizes his possession of the sacred Piprahwa gem relics, closely associated with Lord Buddha, as an act of "generational custodianship." ^[12]This claim is false and deeply problematic. His ownership of the gems is a result of British colonial loot and colonial appropriation, in which his great-grandfather, Mr. William Peppé, played an active role. To describe the legacy of British colonial loot as generational custodianship is not only foolish but also historically inaccurate. These gems, which Mr. Chris Peppé is now eager to sell – ostensibly to secure silver spoons for future generations of the Peppé family – were excavated from Piprahwa Stupa at the end of the 19th century. These sacred gems were then unethically taken out of a colonised India, under the watch of the British government.

Mr. William Claxton Peppé, a British colonial engineer and landowner, owned the private estate that housed the Piprahwa Stupa mound in United Province (a colonial name of the modern-day state of Uttar Pradesh). Mr. William Peppé, who, by the way, wasn’t a trained archaeologist, excavated the stupa at Piprahwa in 1898. ^[13]The excavated gems included pearls, rubies, topaz, sapphires and intricately patterned gold sheets, kept in a soapstone casket along with the bone relics of Lord Buddha, deep inside a brick chamber of the Stupa. ^[14]

One of the most important finds in this excavation was that of the inscription on the lid of the smaller steatite vase. The inscription read “sukiti bhatinam sa-bhaginikanam sa-puta dalanam iyam salila nidhane Budhasa bhagvate sakiyanam.”^[15]There are various translations of the aforementioned text, but only a few of them are widely accepted. G. Buhler’s translations of the inscription say that: "This relic shrine of divine Buddha (is the donation) of the Sakya Sukiti brothers (i.e., either ‘of Sukiti's brother’ or Sukiti and his brothers), associated with their sisters, sons and wives." ^[16] Rhys Davids’ translation interprets the inscription in the following manner: "This shrine for the relics of the Buddha, the August one, is that of the Sakyas, the brethren of the Distinguished one, in association with their sisters and with their children and their wives."^[17]According to these interpretations, the relics found inside the Piprahwa stupa by Mr. William Peppé were those of the Buddha himself. ^[18]

After this significant discovery, the British colonial administration, under the Indian Treasure Trove Act of 1878, laid claim to the discovery, especially the relics of Lord Buddha. ^[19] A part of the relics of Lord Buddha was gifted to the King of Siam (modern-day Thailand), while others were sent to the Indian Museum in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Mr. William Peppé was allowed to retain a fifth of the 1,800 gems found in the excavation.

Since then, these gems under the unethical custody of the Peppé family have been kept in a private collection, largely out of public view for over a century. These gems, which remained buried with the holy remains of Lord Buddha for more than 2,000 years, were meant to be revered and worshipped; instead, they were kept hidden in private lockers in countries that have benefitted from the colonial era. Now, thanks to greed, the gems find their way to the auction tables of the global art market.

Sotheby’s has itself described the discovery of these gems from Piprahwa as the most important discovery of Buddhism. ^[20] These gems have unparalleled religious, archaeological and historical importance. The question that arises at this point is whether these gems, which are associated with the holy relics of Lord Buddha, are the property of an individual. Should an auction table be used to find its commercial value? Can such sacred relics—interred with the express purpose of eternal veneration—be ethically sold at all?

The Western world might look at the Piprahwa gems as ornamental gems, but for us, these are not just ornamental gems; they are sacred. These gems are inseparable from the Buddha’s corporeal presence. The attempt to sell these sacred gems to people with deep pockets would mean the continuation of the colonial violence. The separation of the gems from the ashes and bones they were buried is an artificial distinction imposed by colonial categories of value, where bones were treated as "religious" and thus reverently redistributed, while gems were deemed "artifacts" and claimed by collectors and museums. These gems, interred with the ashes and bones of Lord Buddha, are an extension of his sanctity.

The gems, bones, and ash were all deposited together, meant to stay together in perpetuity. Their separation, and now their sale, desecrate the original religious intent. Venerable Dr Yon Seng Yeath, abbot of Wat Unnalom, Cambodia’s leading Mahanikaya monastery, echoed this sentiment, warning that the auction “disrespects a global spiritual tradition and ignores the growing consensus that sacred heritage should belong to the communities that value it most.”^[21] Amal Abeyawardene of the London-based British MahaBodhi Society, as per the report, said, “Historical records indicate that the Sakyamuni clan were granted custody of these relics, as the Buddha emanated from their community. Their wish was for these relics to be preserved alongside adornments, such as these gems, so that they may be venerated in perpetuity by the Buddha's followers."^[22] Therefore, repatriation of the Piprahwa gems, which are deeply embedded in the religious and cultural consciousness of a large group of people in our part of the world, should be a top governmental priority.

At present, Sotheby’s has halted the auction of the Piprahwa gems due to the threat of legal action by the Indian government. ^[23]But this idea that Sotheby’s and Mr. Peppé have the authority to sell the sacred relics is fiendish. This obnoxious idea monetizes the relics closely associated with one of the world’s greatest spiritual figures. It transforms a shared religious heritage into a luxury commodity, available to the highest bidder. If relics so deeply tied to India’s religious, historical, and cultural identity can be sold abroad, what precedent does that set for the countless other items still languishing in Western collections? This attempt to sell Buddha’s relics is not just an event in the art market of the ultra-rich—it is a reckoning. It exposes colonial entitlement that lingers in our modern world. It exposes the ethical hollowness of the global antiquities trade, which dares to sell anything under the sky.

References

^[1] “India seeks to halt auction of Buddhist relics by Sotheby's Hong Kong, sends legal notice.” The Hindu, May 6, 2025.https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-seeks-to-halt-auction-of-buddhist-relics-by-sothebys-hong-kong-sends-legal-notice/article69544775.ece
^[2] “Officials Start Inquiry into Antique Smuggling Racket. ”Business Standard, February 17, 1997. https://www.business-standard.com/article/specials/officials-start-inquiry-into-antique-smuggling-racket-197021701034_1.html
^[3] “Sotheby’s Illicit India Artifacts.” Hinduism Today, June 1, 1997.
https://www.hinduismtoday.com/magazine/june-1997/1997-06-sotheby-s-illicit-india-artifacts/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
^[4] Susman, Tina. “Feds vs. Sotheby’s: Antiquity looted in Cambodia, complaint says.” Los Angeles Times, April 5, 2012. https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-xpm-2012-apr-05-la-na-nn-cambodian-antiquity-20120405-story.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com
^[5] Ibid.
^[6] Sharp, Rob. “Sotheby's cancels sale of 'looted' Benin mask.” Independent, December 29, 2010. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/sotheby-s-cancels-sale-of-looted-benin-mask-2171125.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com
^[7] Carassava, Anthee. “Greece Ramps up Legal Fight Against Sotheby's to Win Back Bronze Statuette.” Voice of America English News, June 13, 2020. https://www.voanews.com/a/europe_greece-ramps-legal-fight-against-sothebys-win-back-bronze-statuette/6191054.html
^[8] Alberge, Dalya. “Antiquities for auction could be illicitly sourced, archaeologist claims.” The Guardian, December 7, 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/dec/07/antiquities-for-auction-could-be-illicitly-sourced-archaeologist-claims
^[9] Cascone, Sarah. “A Renowned Archaeologist Is Calling on Sotheby’s to Withdraw Potentially Looted Antiquities from Its Auction.” Artnet, December 6, 2022.https://news.artnet.com/art-world-archives/sothebys-illicit-antiquities-auction-archaeologist-2223923
^[10] Romo, Vanessa. “Sotheby's And Bonhams Bow to Pressure, Ban the Sale of Rhino Horn Artifacts.” NPR, November 26, 2018. https://www.npr.org/2018/11/26/671012239/sothebys-and-bonhams-bow-to-pressure-ban-the-sale-of-rhino-horn-artifacts
^[11] Walsh, Conal. “Sotheby's 'sold looted Holocaust masterpieces'.” The Guardian, June 6 2004. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2004/jun/06/arts.artsnews?utm_source=chatgpt.com
^[12] Peppe, Chris. “The Piprahwa Gems: A Four Generation Story of Custodianship.” Sotheby’s, February 9, 2025. https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-piprahwa-gems-a-four-generation-story-of-custodianship
^[13] Srivastava, K. M. Memoirs of the Archaeological Survey of India No. 94: Excavations at Piprahwa and Ganwaria. Published by the Director General Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi, 1996. pp- 5.
^[14] Ibid.
^[15] Ibid, pp- 6.
^[16] Buhler, G. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 1898, pp- 387.
^[17] Davids, T. W. Rhys. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, pp- 595.
^[18] Srivastava, K. M. Memoirs of the Archaeological Survey of India No. 94: Excavations at Piprahwa and Ganwaria. Published by the Director General Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi, 1996. pp- 6.
^[19] Batty, David. “Auction of ancient Indian gems ‘imbued with presence of Buddha’ condemned.” The Guardian, May 2, 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/02/auction-of-ancient-indian-gems-imbued-with-living-presence-of-buddha-condemned#:~:text=The%20auction%20of%20the%20Piprahwa,by%20a%20British%20colonial%20landowner.
^[20] “The Piprahwa Gems: A History Spanning Two Millennia.” Sotheby’s, February 6, 2025. https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-piprahwa-gems-a-history-spanning-two-millennia
^[21] Batty, David. “Auction of ancient Indian gems ‘imbued with presence of Buddha’ condemned.” The Guardian, May 2, 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/02/auction-of-ancient-indian-gems-imbued-with-living-presence-of-buddha-condemned#:~:text=The%20auction%20of%20the%20Piprahwa,by%20a%20British%20colonial%20landowner
^[22] “Jewels linked to Buddha's remains set to be auctioned in Hong Kong.” Deccan Herald, May 5, 2025. https://www.deccanherald.com/world/jewels-linked-to-buddhas-remains-set-to-be-auctioned-in-hong-kong-report-3525010
^[23] Sullivan, Helen. “Sotheby's halts Buddha jewels auction after India threat.” BBC, May 8, 2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce9299nln2ko

(The paper is the author’s individual scholastic articulation. The author certifies that the article/paper is original in content, unpublished and it has not been submitted for publication/web upload elsewhere, and that the facts and figures quoted are duly referenced, as needed, and are believed to be correct). (The paper does not necessarily represent the organisational stance... More >>