$1.6M sculpture dating back to 1700s unearthed

By Ed Cullinane via SWNS

A £1.4 million ($1,695,533) sculpture found propping open a garden shed could be sold - to help the local community.

The "Bouchardon Bust" was discovered by local councilor Maxine Smith in 1998 in an industrial estate in the village of Balintore, Easter Ross, Scotland.

She said at the time she believed it may have been in the shed for several decades before she uncovered it.

It was later displayed at the Louvre in Paris - and valued at £1.4million.

The 1728 bust of MP Sir John Gordon was created by Edme Bouchardon - a French sculptor known for neoclassical statues in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles.

Bouchardon created the artwork while Sir John was on his "Grand Tour" of Europe - during which he studied for a time in Rome, Italy.

Members of Easter Ross area committee in the Scottish Highlands are now set decide the fate of the "Bouchardon Bust."

The item is now owned by the local "Invergordon Common Good fund," who will benefit from the sale should Councillors give it the go ahead on Monday, Oct. 30.

The first step will be a public consultation on the proposal to dispose of the bust, in line with the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.

This will also seek the views of the wider Invergordon community on the sale.

Council minutes from 1931 make reference to “the Provost, Cllr MacLeod and the Town Clerk were asked to visit Kindeace House Sale and endeavor to purchase the Bust of John Gordon said to be the founder of Invergordon and to offer up to £5 for same.”

Speaking in 2016, Maxine said: ''She said: "I started asking the council what happened to the old provost's robes and chains were and one of the Highland councilors suggested I try this shed.

"I managed to get the key from the council. I found the robes and there was this bust just propping the door open.

"I went back to the council and said that there's a bunch of stuff that looks like it's worth a lot of money and they need to get it out in case someone steals them.

"The insurance team got in and we found that it was worth so much money. Back then it was worth about £200,000."