A selection of some of the rare gemstones and jewellery items that were due to go under the hammer at Sotheby’s Hong Kong on May 7. Sotheby’s
Global auction house Sotheby’s, one of the world’s leading sellers of fine art, antiques, jewellery and other collectibles, has halted the auction of more than 300 Buddhist relics and gemstones, following protests by the Indian government and the Buddhist faithful worldwide, including from Cambodia.
“In light of the matters raised by the Government of India and with the agreement of the consignors, the auction of the Piprahwa Gems of the Historical Buddha, scheduled for 7th May, has been postponed,” Sotheby’s said in a statement.
“This will allow for discussions between the parties, and we look forward to sharing any updates as appropriate,” it added.
India’s culture ministry shared their jubilation at the pause of the sale.
“We are pleased to inform that, following the intervention of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, Sotheby's Hong Kong has postponed the auction of the Piprahwa Buddhist relics, which was scheduled for May 7, 2025,” it said.
The ministry issued a May 5 legal notice to Sotheby’s Hong Kong and Chris Peppé, the heir of William Claxton Peppé, who inherited the pieces. The letter demanded an immediate halt to the “Piprahwa Gems of the Historical Buddha, Mauryan Empire, Ashokan Era, circa 240-200 BCE” auction, and demanded that the items be repatriated to India.
“These sacred relics, excavated in 1898 from the Piprahwa Stupa (in Uttar Pradesh), are part of India and the global Buddhist community’s spiritual and cultural heritage. Their sale violates Indian law, international norms and UN conventions,” it said.
The gems and artefacts in question were originally buried alongside the remains of the Buddha over 2,000 years ago at Piprahwa, a location not far from Buddha’s birthplace of Lumphini, now in Nepal.
They include amethysts, coral, garnets, pearls, rock crystals, shells and gold, some worked into jewellery and some in their natural form. Extracted by British engineer William Claxton Peppé in 1898, they were expected to sell for almost $13 million.
At the time of their excavation, the British crown claimed them under the 1878 Indian Treasure Trove Act. Peppé was permitted to keep around one-fifth of the 1,800 gems, with the rest sent to a colonial museum in Kolkata.
Prominent Cambodian monk Venerable Yon Seng Yeath, rector of Preah Sihanouk Raja Buddhist University, and vice-president of the Monastic Secretariat of the Sangha Council of Cambodia, also made his displeasure at the planned sale known.
“Selling Buddha’s relics isn’t just a legal or commercial issue — it’s a moral failure. It disrespects a global spiritual tradition and ignores the growing consensus that sacred heritage should belong to the communities that value it most,” he told The Post.
Seng Yeath noted that the relics are not historical curiosities but living connections to the Buddha. Their sale may cause emotional distress and be seen as a betrayal of the Buddha’s teachings on compassion and non-materialism.
“The relics should remain in sacred spaces for veneration, not for auction. I strongly condemn and oppose such an unethical action,” he added.
