A Scottish council is set to sell a marble bust that was discovered propping open a garden shed.
The Bouchardon bust was purchased by Invergordon Town Council in 1930 for only £5, and depicts the man after whom the town gets its name. It was lost for years before being found in the Easter Ross village of Balintore in 1998 keeping a shed door open.
The sculpture was created by renowned French artist Edme Bouchardon in 1728 while Sir John Gordon was on a Grand Tour in Europe. After its rediscovery, it is currently at the centre of a £2.5m bid.
The sculpture has remained securely locked away since being uncovered. However, it was exhibited in 2016 at The Louvre in Paris and the J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
According to Highland Council, the bust’s high value has made it difficult to secure insurance. It also says that it has been unable to provide security for public display within the region.
Highland Council has instead pursued the possibility of selling the bust, with the money made going to the Invergordon Common Good Fund that provides financial support for local good causes. A high-quality replica is set to be created that would be displayed for the public.
In May, the Black Isle and Easter Ross area committee voted to pursue the sale, with the decision being confirmed at a full council meeting in June. The vote followed a public consultation over the plans that drew dozens of responses, with 48 of the 70 received being in favour of the sale.
Last week, the council applied to Tain Sheriff Court for formal approval to sell the bust under the terms of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. While the bid was successful, the planned sale will likely now be subject to The Waverley Criteria — used to determine whether an object should be considered a national treasure and not leave the UK.
To qualify, the item must meet at least one of three criteria. It must be either closely connected with British history and national life, of outstanding aesthetic importance, or of outstanding significance for the study of art, learning, or history.
When a bar is placed, there is a deferral period. Usually lasting three months, this allows time for potential UK buyers to express interest.
A Highland Council spokesperson commented: “As the court approved the sale the Waverley Criteria will almost certainly be triggered which allows for institutions to consider whether they wish to offer to buy – the timescales for that are set by the UK Government Reviewing Committee on Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest and outwith council control.”
If the sale goes through, the funds generated could provide a major boost for community projects in Invergordon. Councillor Maxine Smith previously stated that the value of the bust means that interest alone could be worth as much as £125,000 a year to the Invergordon Common Good Fund.
A report to councillors previously said: “It is the considered opinion of the experts at Sotheby’s that the current offer received [of £2.5million] is at the top level of the market and represents peak offer for the bust.”
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