Objection to overseas sale of council's '£2.5m' bust

An objection has been raised against an artwork that is held in the care of a Scottish local authority being sold to an overseas buyer.

The marble bust of Highland landowner Sir John Gordon was made by French artist Edmé Bouchardon in 1728 and has been valued to be worth £2.5m.

Highland Council, which looks after the sculpture, has proposed selling it to raise funds for the community of Invergordon, a town named after the Gordon family.

But a new report said the local authority's application for a UK export licence, which is needed in case of an overseas sale, had been opposed and the licence bid was now under review.

A hearing of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest was held last month after the objection was raised.

The new Highland Council report said: "The committee is assessing whether the bust meets any of the three Waverley Criteria and whether the export licence should be deferred.

"The council is currently awaiting the outcome of this review, and members will be updated in due course."

The Waverley Criteria is a set of measures used to determine whether an artwork is a national treasure and if any sale to an overseas buyer would be considered a "misfortune".

It is designed to give institutions, such as museums and galleries, a chance to purchase the art.

The council report is due to be discussed at a meeting of the Black Isle and Easter Ross area committee next week.

Invergordon Museum said it had raised previous concerns the sculpture being lost to the local area.

It has proposed displaying the bust as part of a long-term loan, a move it says would help generate funds for the area from visitors to the museum.