Chandigarh: Efforts to stop the transfer of ownership of six Chandigarh heritage furniture pieces auctioned at the Wright Auction House in Chicago on August 13 are still underway, but two more heritage chairs from Chandigarh’s administrative buildings have now been listed for auction in France and the Netherlands.
The two auctions are scheduled for September 30 and October 10, respectively.
Advocate Ajay Jagga, a member of the UT Heritage Items Protection Cell and the Administrator’s Advisory Council, as well as a heritage activist, wrote to the Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Ministry of Culture and Chandigarh Administration on September 25. He sought immediate diplomatic intervention through Indian missions in France and the Netherlands before the first auction on September 30.
Chair listed in Paris
The Artcurial auction house in Paris has listed a Pierre Jeanneret-designed Chair V Type Cane Seat Cane Back, c.1958 as Lot No. 73 in its ‘Interior Motives: Artcurial x Reflections’ sale on September 30.
The estimated price of the chair is €4,000-€6,000.
Two X-leg armchairs listed in Netherlands
Hessink’s Fine Art Auctioneers in the Netherlands has listed a Set of Two X-Leg Armchairs, teak and leather, designed by Pierre Jeanneret, as Lot No. 28 for its October 10 auction.
The estimated price is €5,000-€7,000, with the starting bid already reaching €3,000.
Jagga has highlighted that both auction houses have described the furniture in their catalogues as originating from “Administrative Buildings, Chandigarh, India.”
He said this could provide important information for determining when and under what circumstances the furniture was taken out of Chandigarh, whether official permission was granted for its sale or export, and what ownership documents are held by the current owners.
Jagga has sought notices to the auction houses, complete records relating to the furniture and suspension of the auctions until the verification process is completed.
According to the information provided, Chandigarh heritage furniture worth around ₹40-50 crore has been taken out of the city through more than 100 auctions in countries including the US, France, Britain, Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg, Israel and New Zealand since 2009.
The Chandigarh Administration had earlier succeeded in stopping auctions in Paris in June and Barcelona in July by filing FIRs and invoking UNESCO-related rules.
Jagga has also reiterated his demand that the remaining Pierre Jeanneret furniture in Chandigarh be declared a national art treasure under the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972. He has sought a central database of missing heritage items in coordination with Interpol and the Customs Department.
The focus now is on whether the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian missions can intervene in time to stop the September 30 and October 10 auctions.
