CHANDIGARH: In yet another auction of artifacts belonging to Chandigarh at a New York-based auction house, furniture items designed by Pierre Jeanneret were sold for around at Rs 20 lakh.
A dining table from the cafeteria at Panjab University (PU) fetched Rs 5,18,622 while easy armchairs went for Rs 8,77, 669. Another pair of armchairs went for Rs 6,38,450.
Since 2007, a large number of furniture items designed by Pierre Jeanneret and Le Corbusier have been auctioned in various auction houses in France, US and England. Furniture items were purchased by foreign nationals at low prices who, later auctioned them at higher prices. On September 18, 2017, a total of six furniture items designed by Pierre Jeanneret were sold for Rs 13 lakh at a US-based auction house. On May 9, 2017, a total of 6 furniture items designed by Pierre Jeanneret were sold for Rs 1.5 crore at Phillips, a London-based auction house, while on January 22, 2017, furniture items designed by Pierre Jeanneret were sold for Rs 65.26 lakh at Rago Arts and Auction Centre, a New Jersey-based auction house. In September 10, 2016, a total of eight items designed by Pierre Jeanneret were sold for Rs 25 lakh at a New York-based auction house, while in June 10, 2016, as many as four
heritage items, furniture, designed Le Corbusier, were sold for Rs 1 crore at a New York-based auction house.
UT social activist Ajay Jagga has written to central board of excise and customs ministry of finance for putting a check on the sale of heritage furniture in foreign countries.
