Two more Pierre Jeanneret-designed armchairs from Chandigarh's Capitol Project are scheduled to be auctioned in Paris on June 25, just days after seven Chandigarh heritage pieces fetched Rs 1.6 crore in Brussels on June 18. The upcoming sale, handled by independent Parisian auctioneer François Epin, has prompted heritage activist and advocate Ajay Jagga, a member of the UT Heritage Items Protection Cell, to urgently appeal to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and Indian Ambassador to France Sanjeev Singla for diplomatic intervention to halt the sale before Wednesday.
Provenance and Estimates
Both armchairs are made of teak and cane and bear institutional identification marks that confirm their government origin. The first chair, estimated at €5,000 to €7,000 (approximately Rs 4.5 lakh to Rs 6.3 lakh), is marked PU/Chem/55, indicating it came from Panjab University's Chemistry Department. The second, estimated at €4,000 to €5,000 (Rs 3.6 lakh to Rs 4.5 lakh), bears the marking PGI/W/CH-0202, pointing to PGIMER, Chandigarh.
Auctioneer Details
Unlike previous high-profile sales by major auction houses, this auction is being conducted by François Epin, who previously headed the Decorative Arts and Design department at Pierre Bergé & Associés in Paris and Brussels. This shift suggests that the market for Chandigarh heritage furniture has expanded beyond established houses into the broader Parisian trade ecosystem.
Legal and Diplomatic Context
Jagga's letter highlights that the Ministry of Home Affairs order of February 22, 2011, explicitly prohibits the export or inter-building transfer of Chandigarh heritage furniture without authorization, making these sales prima facie illegal. He wrote, “This loot by foreigners should not continue after 79 years of independence,” adding, “At least we should raise an objection.” He also invoked India's obligations under the United Nations treaty framework on cultural artefacts, urging activation of diplomatic channels for both the Paris sale and future listings.
Recent Sales and Cumulative Impact
The upcoming auction follows a string of international sales: seven items sold in Brussels on June 18 for Rs 1.6 crore, and seven items fetched Rs 1.16 crore at a Wright auction house sale in Chicago on June 4, which included MLA Hostel furniture from Punjab Vidhan Sabha. Since 2009, across at least 100 open international auctions, Chandigarh's heritage furniture is estimated to have generated Rs 40 to Rs 50 crore for foreign dealers and auction houses. Individual pieces have fetched as much as Rs 1.92 crore, such as a Panjab University library table sold in Tel Aviv in 2018.
Symbolic Significance
While the Paris sale involves two relatively modest-estimate chairs, the PGIMER marking on one chair underscores the gravity: a piece of furniture from one of independent India's flagship public health institutions, built in the same founding decade as Chandigarh, is about to be sold in a Parisian saleroom unless diplomatic action is taken. As of press time, no response from the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, or the Indian Embassy in Paris was available.
