Marble bust bought for US$6 and used as doorstop could sell for more than US$3 million

The sculpture was made by French sculptor Edmé Bouchardon in the early 18th century and depicts the late landowner and politician John Gordon. (The Highland Council)

A sculpture bought for just £5 (US$6) and used as a doorstop could sell for more than £2.5 million (US$3.2 million) after a Scottish court gave the green light for its sale.

It has taken years to decide the fate of the Bouchardon Bust, which was made by French sculptor Edmé Bouchardon in the early 18th century and depicts the late landowner and politician John Gordon.

However, after a local government that owns the bust sought approval from the Scottish Highlands’ Tain Sheriff Court to sell it, no objections were made when the case was heard on Thursday, a spokeswoman for the region’s Highland Council told CNN on Monday.

Invergordon Town Council acquired the sculpture — which survived a 19th-century castle fire — in 1930 because Gordon was “said to be the founder of Invergordon,” officials said, and the council agreed to place it in the town hall.

However, it was never put on display and was instead misplaced. In 1998, the bust was found being used to keep open a shed door on an industrial park, according to the Highland Council.

In a May report on the proposed sale, the Highland Council said a private overseas buyer had contacted auction house Sotheby’s and put forward an offer of more than £2.5 million. The unidentified buyer also offered to pay for a museum-quality replica of the bust to be displayed in the local area.

Local officials said they had not put the bust on display due to its high value, although it was loaned to the Louvre in Paris in 2016 and the Getty Museum in Los Angeles the year after.

Following a public consultation earlier this year, members of a council committee recommended that the bust should be sold. By June, the wider council had agreed to the proposal, the spokeswoman told CNN.

She added that, after getting court approval last week, a legal process used to determine whether objects are “national treasures” barred from overseas export — known as the Waverley Criteria — will “almost certainly be triggered.”

CNN asked if an auction will take place but the spokeswoman did not confirm.

In 2018, a rock that was used as a doorstop at Central Michigan University for three decades turned out to be a meteorite that later sold for US$75,000.