Outcry Grows Over Sacred Treasures Going Under the Hammer

 

Sacred Relics for Sale: Sotheby’s Auction of Buddhist Treasures Sparks Global Outcry

A Vesak-Eve Auction Clouded in Controversy

Next week, on May 7—on the eve of Vesak, the most sacred day for millions of Buddhists worldwide—Sotheby’s will auction over 300 Buddhist relics in Hong Kong. The collection, described in the auction house’s catalogue as “jewels of exceptional historical significance,” originates from the Piprahwa stupa in present-day Uttar Pradesh, India.

Unearthed in 1898 by British colonial landowner William Claxton Peppé, these sacred objects are said to have been interred alongside the cremated remains of the historical Buddha himself.

Unearthed Amid Empire: The Piprahwa Discovery

The discovery at Piprahwa was monumental in Buddhist archaeology. The stupa yielded a reliquary urn inscribed in ancient Brahmi script, identifying the contents as relics of the Buddha deposited by the Sakya clan—his own family. According to the Pali Canon, the Buddha’s ashes were distributed among ten Indian republics after his death. These gemstones, offered in reverence, were intended to remain eternally with his remains.

However, Peppé’s excavation, conducted under British rule, also marked a troubling moment of colonial interference—desecrating a sacred burial site and setting in motion a century-long dispersal of objects that many believe should never have left the stupa.

The Peppé Legacy and Its Afterlife

Since their discovery, the relics have been in the possession of the Peppé family. While some remains were gifted to the King of Siam (now Thailand) and are venerated across Southeast Asia, these particular gems have been loaned to museums and studied in scholarly circles. Now, they are being offered for private sale.

Sotheby’s has clarified that the auction includes only jewels and no bodily remains, but the sale has nonetheless provoked alarm and grief among Buddhist communities.

A Devotional Offering, Not a Collector’s Item

For Buddhists, the gems are not simply ancient artefacts or ornaments. They are devotional offerings, sanctified by their proximity to the Buddha’s remains. Their spiritual significance far outweighs any material or artistic value.

“Had history taken a different course, these gems would still be venerated at the stupa, not offered to the highest bidder,” remarked a spokesperson for the British Maha Bodhi Society. “In the Dhamma, we are taught not to take what is not given. These were never intended to be personal property.”

Buddhist Scholars and Leaders Demand Accountability

Academics and religious leaders alike are questioning the ethics of the sale. Professor Ashley Thompson and Conan Cheong of the School of Asian Studies at SOAS, University of London, have been investigating the issue. Thompson calls the auction “a moment to reflect deeply on the ethics of the art market” and urges that the gems be “reunited with the Buddha’s corporeal relics, where they spiritually and historically belong.”

The growing call is not simply about one auction but about setting a precedent. In an era where many institutions are repatriating colonial-era collections, the sale appears regressive.

The Larger Question: Who Owns Sacred Heritage?

This episode raises broader concerns about the treatment of sacred relics belonging to historically colonised communities. Can such objects ever be sold without violating the beliefs of their cultures of origin? Should spiritual heritage be subject to ownership and commerce?

As the auction date nears, pressure mounts. Activists, monks, scholars, and lay Buddhists worldwide are voicing opposition—hoping, perhaps, for a last-minute reprieve.

An Uneasy Anticipation

Many await the auction’s outcome with concern and hope. Whether Sotheby’s will reconsider or whether a benefactor will step in to ensure the relics are returned to a sacred setting remains uncertain. But the central question endures: should sacred relics ever be for sale?