consignor

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".

"������ 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.