Sotheby’s Hong Kong will auction a collection of several hundred ancient Indian gem relics linked to Buddha’s mortal remains, known as the Piprahwa Gems, on May 7. The gems, dating to the Mauryan Empire (circa 240–200 BC), were unearthed in 1898 by British engineer William Caxton Peppé in Piprahwa, India, and have been held in a private British collection for over a century. The sale is estimated at HK$100 million (about $12.9 million USD).
The auction has drawn sharp criticism from Buddhist academics and monastic leaders, who argue that the gems are sacred relics meant to remain together with Buddha’s cremated remains and should not be treated as commodities. Critics, including art historian Naman Ahuja and professor Ashley Thompson, say the sale perpetuates colonial-era separation of the objects. The seller, Chris Peppé (great-grandson of the excavator), defends the auction as the fairest way to transfer the relics to Buddhists.