By GATPM | London | 30 June 2025
Gould Family Withdraws 1947 Documents from Bonhams Auction and Donates Them to Tibet Museum
Two rare and historically significant letters from 1947, bearing the seals of the 14th Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Regent, have been formally handed over to the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Tibet’s government-in-exile, in a landmark act of goodwill by the family of the late Sir Basil Gould, former British Political Officer to Bhutan, Sikkim and Tibet.
The ceremonial handover took place at the Office of Tibet in London on 23 June 2025. The documents – originally scheduled for auction at Bonhams earlier this month – were instead personally delivered by Sir Basil Gould’s granddaughters, Frances Cutler and Lorraine Bondarenko, to Sikyong Penpa Tsering, President of the CTA.
“It is an honour on our part to connect with the Tibet Museum and to be able to donate, on behalf of our family and Sir Basil Gould, these important historic documents to you and the Tibetan people,” said the Gould sisters during the handover.
Historic Letter dated 1947 sent by the young 14th Dalai Lama to Sir Basil Gould, the Political Officer for Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet who was appointed to represent the British government (Credits: The Collection and Archive of Sir Basil Gould CBE / Bonhams)
The letters, which date back to a crucial period when Tibet was actively asserting its status as an independent nation, had been listed as part of the prestigious “Gould Collection” sale at Bonhams, scheduled for 5 June. Following urgent appeals from Tibetan advocate Tsering Passang, Founder-Chair of the Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities (GATPM), the family chose to withdraw the documents from sale and donate them for preservation.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to Bonhams and to the entire Gould family for their extraordinary generosity and principled decision,” said Passang. “By withdrawing these historic letters from public sale and donating them to the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, the Gould family has honoured Tibet’s cultural legacy and reaffirmed the deep historical bonds between our two nations.”
The decision has been widely praised by Tibetan leaders and supporters. Tsering Yangkey, the UK Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and head of the Office of Tibet, said the donation symbolises a shared historical understanding and solidarity.
“Their gracious decision is an act of immense goodwill,” said Yangkey. “It is a powerful gesture of solidarity with the Tibetan people and a profound recognition of our shared historical ties.”
Bonhams also welcomed the decision. Giles Peppiatt, Bonhams Group Head of Fine Art (UK), described the Gould Collection as “one of the most extraordinary and profoundly important historical sales” he has handled. “I am delighted the family decided to donate these particularly rare and historically significant documents to Tibet,” Peppiatt said. “They will now be preserved for future generations and displayed at the Tibet Museum.”
Sikyong Penpa Tsering acknowledged the advocacy efforts during a talk with the Tibetan community in Britain held the day before the handover. “When sincere efforts are made, such meaningful results can be achieved,” he remarked, crediting the role of the Tibetan activist Tsering Passang in protecting Tibetan heritage.
Passang was specially invited to attend the handover ceremony by the Office of Tibet, in recognition of GATPM’s campaign to halt the sale. The documents will now be housed in the Tibet Museum in Dharamsala, India, the cultural and political hub of the Tibetan exile community.
GATPM has called on the Gould family to consider adding a personal message to accompany the letters when they go on public display, offering historical context and further deepening public understanding of Britain’s role in Tibetan history.
The handover comes at a time of growing parliamentary interest in the UK’s historical ties with Tibet and renewed scrutiny of China’s human rights record. Tibetan advocates see the donation as a timely moral intervention.
“This is not just a symbolic gesture,” said Passang. “It reopens conversations about Britain’s moral responsibility to acknowledge Tibet’s historic status and to support its legitimate aspirations today.”
GATPM continues to advocate for the UK to re-examine its Tibet policy, particularly supporting the recognition of Tibet as a “buffer state” vital to regional peace and aligned with the UK’s Indo-Pacific strategy.
Follow GATPM @AllianceTibet and Tsering Passang @Tsamtruk
Further Reading
Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities (GATPM) 
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