Objection to export of Invergordon’s £2.5m Bouchardon bust that was bought for a fiver
A FURTHER twist in the tale of an Easter Ross bust bought for a fiver but now valued at over £2.5m has emerged.
The Bouchardon bust, which was bought by Invergordon Town Council in 1930, depicts the man after whom the town gets its name.
It disappeared for decades before being rediscovered.
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The bust was sculpted by celebrated French artist Edme Bouchardon in 1728 and is thought to have been created when its subject - Sir John Gordon - was on a Grand Tour in Europe.
Following its rediscovery, its multi-million pound value has posed issues for Highland Council, with the local authority claiming its value made it too difficult to secure insurance and security for public display within the region.
Members of the Black Isle and Easter Ross area committee voted last year to pursue the sale, which was rubber stamped by a full council meeting a month later.
That vote followed public consultation over the plans which drew dozens of responses - with 48 of the 70 received being in favour of the sale despite strong criticism from some quarters.
The money raised would go to the Invergordon Common Good Fund and many suggestions about how it could be used have been made.
The council needed to apply to Tain Sheriff Court for formal approval to sell the bust under the terms of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.
It was successful, although the planned sale is subject to The Waverley Criteria - used to decide whether an object should be considered a national treasure and not leave the UK.
In an update report due to be considered next week, Highland Council reveals that an objection regarding its export has since been raised.
It states: “Members will recall that on November 7, 2024, the Sheriff Court approved the application to sell the Bust of Sir John Gordon, which is part of the Invergordon Common Good Fund.
“Following this, an application for a UK export licence was submitted on 12 March 2025. Arts Council England has since informed Sotheby’s, who are acting on behalf of the Council, that an objection has been raised regarding the export of the Bouchardon bust.
“As a result, the application was considered at a hearing of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest, held in July.
“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.”
Members of Highland Council’s Black Isle and Easter Ross area committee will be given the update next week.