Chandigarh: A local advocate has urged the central government and the Chandigarh administration to urgently intervene to prevent the upcoming auction of nine heritage furniture articles linked to Chandigarh and designed by Swiss-French architect Pierre Jeanneret in France on October 25.
In a formal representation submitted to the Ministries of External Affairs and Culture alongside the Chandigarh Administration, advocate Ajay Jagga requested an immediate verification of the ownership and provenance of the items, asking that the sale be put on hold pending an official inquiry. The auction is scheduled to be conducted by Paris Oise Encheres in Chantilly, France.
According to details cited in the representation, multiple lots in the auction catalog are described as originating from administrative buildings in Chandigarh. The items feature a set of two Senate Committee chairs, a pair of Avocat armchairs, an Avocat sofa, a bookcase, office cane chairs, a demountable administrative office, and a filing cabinet described as being in the style of Jeanneret.
The catalog also lists two Easy Cane chairs without specified provenance, as well as a teak table described as having been specially commissioned for the dependencies of the Palace of the Maharaja of Patiala. Jagga emphasized that these catalog descriptions necessitate immediate verification by competent authorities through the examination of government inventories, disposal records, transfer documentation, and official removal permissions.
Jagga urged the Ministry of External Affairs to leverage diplomatic channels to engage with foreign authorities and the auction house to secure a stay on the sale until the rightful ownership and origin of the artifacts are clearly established. He also called for appropriate law enforcement action wherever evidence of unauthorized removal, misappropriation, theft, or illegal disposal might surface.
Highlighting an earlier communication sent on September 25 regarding similar Chandigarh-linked heritage furniture, Jagga noted that a previous auction had proceeded regardless on October 10. Consequently, he advocated for the establishment of a coordinated mechanism to successfully identify, trace, and repatriate Chandigarh heritage furniture that has been removed from the country and listed for commercial sale abroad.
The furniture pieces designed by Jeanneret constitute an integral part of Chandigarh's architectural and cultural history, making the careful examination of items associated with local administrative buildings essential before their ownership and movement can be validated. The proposed auction features individual lot estimates ranging from 6,000 euros to 45,000 euros, totals that require reconciliation alongside the broader figures outlined in the formal representation.