The UK government has placed a temporary export ban on an 18th-century masterpiece, a marble bust of Sir John Gordon, to prevent its sale to an overseas buyer. The sculpture, crafted by French artist Edmé Bouchardon in 1728, carries a recommended sale price of £3.1 million. Highland Council, responsible for the sculpture, aims to sell it to fund community projects in Invergordon, a town named after the Gordon family. The bust has a rich history, having been a part of the Gordon family's Invergordon Castle since the 19th century and surviving a fire at the property. In 1930, the Invergordon Town Council purchased the sculpture for £5, but it was later stored in an industrial estate, largely forgotten until its rediscovery. The Invergordon Museum objected to the export licence application, citing the bust's 'aesthetic importance' and 'outstanding significance' to the study of 18th-century sculpture in Britain and Europe. The government's temporary ban, advised by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA), has deferred the decision on the export licence application until April 8th, allowing time for potential offers. This intervention has been hailed as a 'vital victory' for local and national heritage, with the Invergordon Museum expressing hope to display the bust locally in a new facility.
