Chandigarh’s heritage chairs withdrawn from Paris auction after MEA intervention: Here's why

Heritage chairs linked to Chandigarh, which was scheduled to be auctioned in Paris today, has been withdrawn from the sale following the intervention of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The MEA intervention came on the directions of Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria who took up the matter with ministry, seeking urgent diplomatic intervention.

The Culture Department of the Chandigarh Administration, under the supervision of Chief Secretary H Rajesh Prasad, pursued the matter with the Centre after learning about the proposed auction.

MEA informs chairs have been withdrawn

The MEA has informed the administration that the items had been withdrawn from the auction following efforts by the Embassy of India in France, officials said on 24 June.

The Chandigarh administration described the development as a major success in protecting Chandigarh's heritage and thanked the MEA, the Indian Embassy in France and other authorities for their timely support, news agency PTI reported.

“Today, the MEA was informed that, following the intervention of the Embassy of India in France, the items concerned have been withdrawn from the auction," the Chandigarh administration said in a statement on 24 June.

The administration said it would continue to take all necessary steps for the verification, recovery and repatriation of the heritage items. Officials said the move reflects the government's commitment to preserving Chandigarh's cultural and architectural heritage.

What is the row?

Two furniture pieces linked to Chandigarh’s institutions were set to be auctioned in France today, with auctioneer François Epin listing them at estimated values of €5,000-€7,000 and €4,000-€5,000, respectively. The sale was stopped after the Chandigarh administration urged the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to step in, following which the Indian Embassy in France took up the issue with the auction house, officials said.

The two chairs bear inventory markings that connect them to public institutions in Chandigarh. One Pierre Jeanneret teak-and-cane armchair carries the marking ‘PU Chem/55’, indicating its association with Panjab University’s Chemistry Department. The other armchair bears the marking ‘PGI/W/CH-0202’, linking it to PGIMER Chandigarh.

The markings establish a direct institutional link, raising suspicion that the items were illegally removed and trafficked abroad, the administration said.

In its communication to MEA, the Chandigarh administration emphasised that the chairs forms an integral part of Chandigarh’s modernist heritage created under the vision of Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret. As Chandigarh’s Capitol Complex enjoys UNESCO World Heritage status, officials said that preservation of original furniture associated with the city’s architectural history is a matter of national and international significance.

What is Chandigarh chair?

The Chandigarh chair is an iconic mid-century modernist chair designed in the 1950s for public buildings in Chandigarh, India. Crafted with local teak wood and hand-woven cane, it is globally celebrated for its minimalist aesthetic, most notably its striking, inverted V-shaped legs.

The Chandigarh Police has registered two FIRs on June 23 under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and launched investigations into the suspected theft, illegal removal, export, sale and trafficking of the furniture.

There is ban on their sale and export of heritage items as per 2011 orders by Union Home Ministry. Despite the ban, the heritage items have repeatedly surfaced in auctions in foreign countries. Over the past decade, more than 50 such auctions have taken place globally, with artefacts worth nearly ₹30 crore sold, according to recent media reports.

(With agency inputs)