Sotheby’s Stop Sikh Guru Gobind Singh Armour Auction
Auction house Sotheby’s has withdrawn a rare and controversial Sikh armour that was to go under the hammer on April 9.
The armour dates from the 18th century and has caused controversy, with protestors claiming it belonged to Guru Gobind Singh.
Sotheby’s, however, categorically denied that it belong to the 10th Sikh Guru.
”It is important that you know that Sotheby’s does not consider the Sikh armour plate to be a relic of Guru Gobind Singh, as our cataloguing and estimate clearly indicate,” a spokesman for the auction house said in a statement.
”I can also tell you we believe that complaints about the proposed offering are based on a misreading of Sotheby’s cataloguing, which points to a stylistic similarity to a full set of armour in the possession of the Patiala royal family which the family attributes to Guru Gobind Singh,” said spokesman Simon Warren.
Sotherby’s also said it would arrange a private sale for Sikh buyers. “As per the seller’s wishes, should anyone come forward to buy the item, we will then forward their offer to the seller,” Sotheby’s spokesman Simon Warren added.
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