Chandigarh: Eight heritage furniture pieces designed by Swiss architect Pierre Jeanneret and linked to Chandigarh’s iconic modernist legacy are set to be auctioned in the United States on August 13, prompting calls for urgent diplomatic intervention to stop the sale.The items, listed by US-based Wright Auction House, include an office chair, desk chair, dining chair, committee table, daybed and other furniture traced to Chandigarh, including the UT administration and Panjab University. Their estimated value ranges between $56,000 and $72,000 (₹53.4 lakh-₹68.7 lakh).Chandigarh advocate Ajay Jagga has written to the Union ministry of external affairs and the UT administration, urging immediate action to prevent what he described as the continued dispersal of the city’s heritage assets.The latest auction comes despite previous diplomatic efforts that helped stall proposed sales in Spain and France. However, most overseas auctions of Chandigarh’s heritage furniture have gone ahead in recent years, raising questions about how such artefacts continue to leave the city.According to available records, around 36 Chandigarh heritage items have already been auctioned in nearly 12 overseas sales this year, primarily in the US, France, Italy and Spain.In his letter, Jagga pointed out that the auction catalogue itself identifies the provenance of several pieces as Chandigarh, including furniture from the administrative building and Panjab University. He warned that once sold to private collectors, recovery of these heritage objects would become significantly more difficult.
