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This is quite the twisting and turning tale for a marble bust.
The town of Invergordon, Scotland, originally bought the bust of the local landowner and politician John Gordon in 1930 for just $6 (£5). At that time, the bust was already 100 years old, having been sculpted by the French sculptor Edmé Bouchardon in 1828.
But after the town made the purchase, the bust never made it onto display and was misplaced until 1998 when it was rediscovered being used as a doorstop on a shed in an industrial park.
Gordon may have been the son of the town’s founder, but he wasn’t too proud to prop a shed door open. What a guy.
Because the bust was found to be very valuable, the city never put it on public display, even after its rediscovery more than 25 years ago, but during that time it has been loaned out to both the Louvre in Paris and the Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
Earlier this year, an anonymous buyer contacted the famous Sotheby’s Auction House and offered $2.5 million for the sculpture.
The town of Invergordon had to acquire permission from the Scottish Highlands’ Tain Sheriff Court to sell the bust. After gaining court approval last week, they are expected to auction the piece of town history for approximately $3 million.
Not a bad return for a $6 sculpture, even considering inflation over the past 100 years.
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