Overview

• Sotheby’s Hong Kong postponed the planned May 7 auction of the Piprahwa Buddhist relics after India intervened with legal and diplomatic measures.
• India’s Ministry of Culture issued legal notices to Sotheby’s, asserting the relics are protected under Indian law as ‘AA’ antiquities, which prohibits their sale or export.
• The relics, excavated in 1898 by British planter William Claxton Peppé, include 332 gems linked to the historical Buddha and are deeply revered by Buddhist communities worldwide.
• Sotheby’s removed the auction listing from its website and agreed to further discussions with Indian authorities and the consignors.
• India is now pursuing permanent repatriation of the relics through legal channels and international conventions, including UNESCO 1970 and UNIDROIT 1995.