Jewels Linked to Buddha Go Under the Hammer

A cache of ancient jewels linked to the remains of Buddha is set to go up for auction at Sotheby’s Hong Kong on May 7, with estimates reaching $100 million HK (roughly $12.9 million USD).

The 334-piece collection, known as the Piprahwa Gems of the Historical Buddha, includes an array of pearls, rubies, topaz, sapphires and patterned gold sheets dating back to the Mauryan Empire (240-200 BCE). Unearthed in 1898 by British engineer William Claxton Peppé at a stupa near present-day Uttar Pradesh, India — near the Buddha’s birthplace — the relics were found alongside bone fragments believed to be the Buddha’s remains.

For over a century, the jewels remained largely hidden in the private collection of Peppé and his descendants — until now. The upcoming sale has sparked major criticism from Buddhist leaders and scholars.

In a recent paper co-penned by curator Conan Cheong and Professor Ashley Thompson of SOAS University of London, the authors contend that while the auction house separates the jewels from the remains, Buddhists regard them as inseparable: “For the Buddhists who deposited them, as for many Buddhists today, gems, bone and ash are all relics,” the two write, noting that each is believed to carry “the living presence of the Buddha.”

The controversy reached a new pitch when India’s Ministry of Culture weighed in and issued a formal notice to halt the sale. A letter, published on May 5, urges the house to “highlight the illegality of the auction and ensure compliance with international laws,” noting that the “sacred artifacts” are “classified as ‘AA’ antiques under Indian law, prohibiting their removal or sale.”

Chris Peppé, representing the family, told CNN that he saw the auction as “the fairest and most transparent” way to return the relics to Buddhists. He stated that 50% of the proceeds would go toward Buddhist institutions and the display of the Piprahwa collection at the Indian Museum Kolkata, where most of the original trove currently rseides.