Chandigarh, July 16: Chandigarh authorities have approached the Ministry of External Affairs to block the upcoming auctions of original city heritage furniture in Spain and the United States. Local officials fear that these historic assets could permanently leave the country, creating an irreparable gap in the architectural legacy of the region. The move comes on the heels of a successful joint effort in late June that successfully halted a similar furniture auction in France.
According to a complaint filed by the director of culture, a criminal case was officially registered on July 14 regarding the listings. The items are currently scheduled to go under the hammer at Los Angeles Modern Auctions and the Setdart Auction House later this month. Writing to federal authorities, the UT culture secretary stated that the furniture connected with the city’s early institutions carries immense historical value. The administration affirmed that these pieces are an extension of the modernist vision that defined the early planning of the capital.
The latest pieces identified in the auction catalogs include a specialized hanging armchair made of Indian teak wood, alongside a desk and chair set linked directly to Pierre Jeanneret. The desk and chair carry original stencils linking them to the State Legislative Members Block prior to the reorganisation of Punjab. Culture department officials declared that the artifacts are fully documented parts of the city’s protected heritage inventory. They asserted that the unique architectural work of Le Corbusier and his team enjoys international protections that should extend to these integral interior pieces.
A previous intervention on June 24 demonstrated the effectiveness of this diplomatic strategy when federal officials successfully withdrew two institutional armchairs from a Paris auction block. Those pieces carried markings from Panjab University and the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research. Local authorities maintained that continuous coordination with federal ministries is essential to safeguard the remaining physical history of the city’s creation.
