A landmark auction at Sotheby’s Hong Kong on 7 May is set to unveil one of the most extraordinary collections in Buddhist archaeological history: the gem relics of Shakyamuni Buddha discovered at Piprahwa in present-day Uttar Pradesh, India. Handed down through generations of the Peppé family, these artefacts—now known as the “Piprahwa Gems of the Historical Buddha”—are being offered for sale for the first time.
Unearthed in 1898 by British estate manager and engineer William Claxton Peppé, the relics were discovered inside a sandstone coffer within the Piprahwa stupa, widely believed to be the ancient city of Kapilavastu, the Buddha’s childhood home. Among the contents were five reliquaries, including one of rock crystal with a fish-form handle, containing nearly 1,800 gemstones, precious metal sheets, bone, and ash.
An inscription in late Mauryan Brahmi script—deciphered by scholars Vincent Smith and later Harry Falk—affirmed the relics belonged to the Shakya clan and held the corporeal remains of the Historical Buddha. This epigraphic evidence, combined with early Pali texts like the Mahāparinibbāna-sutta, makes Piprahwa the only authenticated site of Buddha’s relics confirmed through inscription.
Following the discovery, a portion of the relics was presented to King Rama V of Siam (Thailand), and enshrined at Wat Saket in Bangkok, Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, and in Sri Lanka. The Indian Museum in Kolkata holds the majority of the gemstones, but the Peppé family retained a portion—approximately one-fifth—which is now coming to market.
The relics comprise a dazzling array of amethyst, aquamarine, garnet, coral, pearls, sapphire and gold sheet objects, many worked into pendants, beads, and floral motifs. Particularly notable are garnet pendants shaped as tri-ratna symbols representing the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha; and gold sheets depicting lions, auspicious footprints, and perhaps one of the earliest known swastikas in Buddhist art.
Scholars note the unmatched scale and quality of the Piprahwa relics, which surpass similar finds from Taxila, Sanchi, and Bodh Gaya. Their opulence and craftsmanship suggest royal patronage, likely from Emperor Ashoka himself, during the 3rd century BCE renovation of the stupa.
This unprecedented offering presents not just rare artefacts, but sacred symbols of devotion and relic worship, central to early Buddhist practice. As one ancient quote puts it: “When the relics are seen, the Buddha is seen.” The sale marks a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness, and potentially acquire, part of Buddhist history.
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