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In an emailed statement, Sotheby's said that in light of the matters raised by India's government "and with the agreement of the consignors, the auction ... has been postponed".

"What is know is that it was acquired by a legal predecessor of the consignor in the 1960s and went to the current owner through three successive inheritances."

A Christie's spokesperson said: "Decisions relating to sales remain confidential between Christie's and our consignors."

However, they are also permitted to rely only on what they are told by a trusted consignor - the technical term for a sender.

A spokesperson for Doyle Auction House declined to comment, citing a company policy against discussing consignors.