Highland Council has voted to hold a public consultation on the sale of a marble bust of Sir John Gordon, which could fetch more than £2.5 million. The 18th-century sculpture by French artist Edmé Bouchardon was rediscovered 25 years ago being used as a doorstop in a storage shed in Balintore, Easter Ross.
The bust, bought by the local council for £5 in 1930, is owned by the Invergordon common good fund. Proceeds from the sale would be invested in community projects in Invergordon, a town with areas of social deprivation. The potential buyer has also offered to pay for a museum-quality replica for public display.
Maxine Smith, a Highland councillor who found the bust, said it is 'doing nobody any good sitting in the Inverness archive centre'. However, art historian Bendor Grosvenor expressed concern that the sculpture could be lost to Scotland, suggesting it could be lent to a Scottish museum instead.
The public consultation, required under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, must last at least eight weeks. If the sale is backed, the council is expected to act swiftly, as Sotheby's believes the bust has reached its peak value.
