Marble Sculpture Bought for $6 and Used as Doorstop Could Make over $3M at Auction
The bust, made by French sculptor Edmé Bouchardon in 1728, was found propping open a shed door in 1998
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The 'Bouchardon Bust'A marble sculpture bought for $6 and used as a doorstep could be about to make a fortune.
The bust, made by French sculptor Edmé Bouchardon, could make over $3 million at auction after a local government department in Scotland proposed putting it up for sale,
According to Highland Council, who the sculpture is now in the care of, the bust was bought for £5 ($6) in 1930, more than 200 years after it was made. It was lost for years before it was found propping open a shed door by a local councilwoman in a Highlands industrial park in 1998. per the BBC.
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"A few people have joked, 'You should have taken it home when you saw it,' " Maxine Smith, who found the item, told the BBC in October 2023.
Highland Council said the sculpture of Highland landowner Sir John Gordon was purchased by Invergordon Town Council because he was believed to be the founder of the town.
According to the council, earlier this year, the artwork was valued in excess of $3 million.
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The 'Bouchardon Bust'The bust was supposed to be put on display after it was found, but as the value of sculptures by Bouchardon has increased significantly since then, it has instead been kept in storage due to the associated security risks.
In January, Highland Council announced its intention to sell the bust and asked the community’s thoughts on the proposal, stating that any proceeds would help finance the Invergordon Common Good Fund, which is used for projects that benefit local communities.
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Highland Council told PEOPLE they received approval to sell the art piece on Thursday, Nov. 7.
This comes after the BBC reported that the council had been offered more than $3 million for the bust by a private overseas buyer in October 2023 amid previous arguments over who owned the sculpture and art historians saying it should be saved for Scotland.
The bust was previously displayed in The Louvre in Paris and at The Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
