Town Gets Go Ahead to Sell 300-Year-old Marble Bust Found Propping Open a Shed–And Worth $2 Million

nnA town council in Scotland has been given the go ahead by a local court to sell a marble bust found propping open a garden shed, and turn the proceeds into a multitude of good for the community.nnThe bust was purchased by the Invergordon Town Council in 1930 for just $5 and depicts the man after whom the town gets its name—Sir John Gordon.nnSculpted by celebrated French artist Edme Bouchardon in 1728, it was created when its subject, Gordon, was on a Grand Tour in Europe.nnIt disappeared for decades before it was rediscovered being used as a doorstop in the town of Balintore 26 years ago. But its rediscovery and multi-million dollar value posed issues for the Highland Council.nnThey wanted to display the historical piece for the public, but a local authority claimed its value made securing insurance and security very difficult.nnSo it has remained securely locked away from public view for much of the time—although it was exhibited in The Louvre in Paris in 2016 and at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.nnThe town has instead pursued the possibility of selling it, with the money going to the Invergordon Common Good Fund.nn

nnAMAZING! Lost Altar Discovered on the Site Where Jesus was Crucified: It’s ‘Sensational’ and was Sitting in Plain SightnnA museum-quality replica could be created which could then be displayed for the public going forward.nnMembers of the area committee voted in May to pursue the sale under the terms of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, and it was later rubber stamped by the full council after 48 of the 70 public comments—68%—favored the sale. However, vocal critics called for the bust to be loaned to the Inverness Museum or National Galleries of Scotland.nnThe planned sale will now almost certainly be subject to The Waverley Criteria, used to decide whether an object should be considered a national treasure and thus remain in the UK. To qualify, the object must meet at least one of three criteria: it is closely connected with British history and national life; is of outstanding aesthetic importance, or is of outstanding significance for the study of art, learning or history.nnPotential UK buyers or institutions would still be able to make bids on the masterpiece that Sotheby’s appraised at £2.5 million.nnHISTORY STAYED ALIVE: Perfectly Preserved 250-Year-Old Cherries Found in George Washington’s Cellar at Mount VernonnnIf the sale goes ahead the money generated from the bust could provide a large boost for community projects in Invergordon—as much as £125,000 a year to the common good fund, says Councillor Maxine Smith.nnTELL FRIENDS TO CHECK THEIR SHEDS–By Sharing This on Social Media…