When Buddhist artifacts appear on the global auction stage, they typically fall into four main categories: sculptures, thangka paintings, ritual implements, and scriptures. However, in 2025, Sotheby's is set to present a historic lot that transcends these traditional classifications.
Known as the Piprahwa Gems, this extraordinary offering consists of more than 300 sacred relics – gemstones, semi-precious stones, pearls, shells, silver, and gold – that were buried alongside the bones of the Historical Buddha for more than 2,000 years. Unearthed in India in 1898, these treasures have since been exhibited in prominent museums across New York, Singapore, and Seoul.
Now, for the first time, these gem relics have arrived in Hong Kong, where they are currently on display at Sotheby's Maison at Landmark Chater until 23 February. In May, the collection will go under the hammer in a dedicated single-lot sale, with bidding starting at HK$10 million, as revealed by Sotheby's Asia Chairman Nicolas Chow in an interview with The Value.
But how were these sacred artifacts uncovered more than a century ago? And how did relics tied so closely to the Buddha's legacy find their way into the private market?
The Piprahwa Gems displayed in three separate cases
Two cases inscribed with "FROM THE PEPPé STUPA AT PIPRAHWA," custom-made by the renowned London antiquities dealer Spink & Son
Two cases inscribed with "FROM THE PEPPé STUPA AT PIPRAHWA," custom-made by the renowned London antiquities dealer Spink & Son
The 19th century marked the dawn of modern archaeology, when global excavations revealed treasures long hidden beneath the surface of history. In India, the most coveted finds were those linked to the Historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama.
In 1896, a groundbreaking discovery was made in Lumbini, southern Nepal (near the Indian border): an ancient stone pillar inscribed by the royal order of Emperor Ashoka (r. 268-232 BCE), one of India's greatest rulers, confirmed the site as the Buddha's birthplace.
Inspired by reports of the Ashokan pillar, William Claxton Peppé, an English estate manager and trained engineer in northern India near the Nepalese border, decided to excavate a large mound in the nearby village of Piprahwa.
The mound caught Peppé's attention for its size and proximity to Lumbini – just 19 kilometers away. After weeks of clearing soil and dense vegetation, Peppé's team unearthed a massive structure of red-fired brickwork, its domed roof measuring an impressive 130 feet (around 39.5 meters) in diameter.
Recognizing the potential significance of his discovery, Peppé sought the expertise of Vincent Smith, a renowned authority on ancient Indian history and archaeology who happened to be serving nearby as a district officer.
The Ashokan pillar unearthed in 1896 confirmed Lumbini in southern Nepal as the Buddha's birthplace
A present-day view of the Piprahwa Stupa
Local monks offering prayers at the Piprahwa Stupa
Smith was elated upon inspecting the site, identifying the structure as an unusually early example of an ancient Buddhist stupa, likely dating back to the era of Ashoka the Great.
In January 1898, Peppé resumed excavations. After digging 18 feet (around 5.5 meters) into the brickwork, his team uncovered an enormous stone offer. Inside, they found five reliquary urns containing bone relics, along with approximately 1,800 treasures, including gemstones, semi-precious stones, pearls, shells, silver, and gold.
The most extraordinary find, however, was an inscription on one of the vessels. Written in an ancient Pali script, it read: "This shrine for relics of the Buddha, the August One, is that of the Sakyas, the brethren of the Distinguished One."
Peppé's discovery appeared to confirm that the ashes and bone fragments belonged to the Buddha himself. Yet, the unearthing of these sacred relics also raised complex questions about their future.
The stone coffer unearthed during excavations at the Piprahwa Stupa
A selection of gem relics found within one of the reliquary urns
One of the reliquary urns, inscribed in ancient Pali script, identifying the relics as belonging to the Buddha
At the time, India was under British colonial rule, and the fate of the newly unearthed relics was far from clear. Would the colonial government claim ownership? If not, there was the potential for widespread disputes, as countless temples and religious institutions would likely contend for the chance to enshrine them.
Peppé, aware of these delicate circumstances, proposed a diplomatic solution: he suggested that the Government of India offer the relics to King Rama V of Siam (modern-day Thailand), the sole remaining Buddhist sovereign in the world.
After extensive lobbying by Prince Priest Jinavaravansa, a second cousin of the Siamese monarch, the Government agreed. King Rama V, in turn, subdivided the relics and distributed them to major Buddhist sites across Asia, including Wat Saket in Bangkok, the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, and temples in Sri Lanka.
With the Buddha's relics safely distributed, one question remains: how did they first come to be enshrined there?
Left: King Rama V of Siam; Right: William Claxton Peppé
A close-up of the gem relics featured in this auction
A close-up of the gem relics featured in this auction
According to Buddhist scriptures, following the Buddha’s cremation, eight ancient Indian kingdoms vied for possession of his corporeal relics. Their kings, each commanding armies, gathered at the site of the Buddha's nirvana, prepared to go to war if necessary.
Just as conflict seemed inevitable, a Brahmin named Drona stepped in. Acting as a mediator, he persuaded the kings to divide the relics into eight equal portions, allowing each kingdom to enshrine its share in stupas for veneration. Among these eight was Kapilavastu, the homeland of the Shakya clan and the Buddha's birthplace. The relics discovered by Peppé in Piprahwa are believed to be the portion the Shakya clan brought back to Kapilavastu.
Two centuries later, during the reign of Ashoka the Great, India entered a golden age of political unity and cultural flourishing under the Mauryan Empire. A devout Buddhist, Ashoka sought to spread the Buddha's teachings far and wide. As part of this mission, he ordered the excavation of the original stupas built by the eight kings and redistributed the relics. Historical accounts suggest that the relics were divided into tens of thousands of portions and disseminated across South Asia and beyond, even reaching as far as China.
Ashoka also renovated and expanded the original stupas, transforming them into grander monuments to honor the Buddha. Archaeologists believe the Piprahwa stupa was one such expansion, as further diggings in the 1970s revealed additional brick structures beneath the coffer. The gems buried alongside the bone relics are thought to date to this period, with their craftsmanship closely matching artifacts found at other major Buddhist sites from the Mauryan Empire.
An aerial view of the Piprahwa Stupa
A close-up of the gem relics featured in this auction
While the bone relics were distributed to Buddhist sites across Asia, the 1,800 treasures accompanying them were sent to the Indian Museum in Kolkata. Peppé, however, was permitted to retain over 300 "duplicate items," which remained with his family for generations before being consigned to Sotheby’s for auction.
Over the years, these sacred objects have been displayed at some of the world's most esteemed institutions, including the Museum Rietberg in Zurich, the Rubin Museum of Art in New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore, and the National Museum of Korea in Seoul.
In Buddhist tradition, corporeal relics are unlike ordinary cremains. Rather than appearing ash-gray, they are often described as vividly colored – blue, yellow, red, white, black, or even multicolored. Their shapes are equally varied, ranging from geometric forms to floral patterns and other intricate designs.
Some scholars believe the gems symbolize the bone relics, with their colors representing different parts of the Buddha’s body. Others argue that they were high-status funerary offerings, meant to distinguish saints and enlightened monks from ordinary individuals.
The gem relics on display at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York
The gem relics on display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Nicolas Chow, Chairman of Sotheby’s Asia, described the Piprahwa Gems:
"Sacred objects are transcendental, tools that facilitate one's spiritual journey to a higher realm. Personal objects, through their physical proximity with someone, evoke their living presence. Ancient objects are as close as one can get to time travel. The Piprahwa gem relics are all of the above, a portal to another dimension, another time, to the historical Buddha himself, Siddhartha Gautama, whose life has inspired and transformed the lives of hundreds of millions of human beings for more than two millennia. The discovery in 1898 of these gems together with bone relics in an inscribed urn identifying the corporeal remains as those of the Buddha ranks among the most extraordinary archaeological discoveries of all time."
To enhance the contemplative experience, Sotheby's has arranged private morning previews* of the gem relics from 11 am to 12 pm, offering a tranquil setting to view the collection.
On the lot's market potential, Chow highlighted Sotheby's successful history with Buddhist treasures, citing the Yongle-period Shakyamuni Buddha sculpture in 2013 (HK$236 million) and the Xuande imperial edition of the Prajnaparamita Sutra in 2018 (HK$238 million). While emphasizing the unparalleled rarity of the Piprahwa relics, he explained that the starting bid had been set at HK$10 million, leaving their ultimate value in the hands of the market.
*Editor's Note: At the time of publishing, all slots have been fully booked. However, the public exhibition is still available daily at Sotheby’s Hong Kong flagship gallery from noon until 23 February.
Nicolas Chow | Chairman of Sotheby’s Asia
The Piprahwa Gems of the Historical Buddha
Auction House: Sotheby's Hong Kong
Venue: Sotheby's Maison
Address: Landmark Chater, 8 Connaught Road Central, Central, Hong Kong
Exhibition Date: until 25 February 2025 (Mon to Sat: 12 pm -7 pm | Sun: 12 pm - 6 pm)
Auction Date: May 2025
Starting Bid: HK$10,000,000 (as revealed to The Value)