Export ban placed on £3m sculpture of Sir John Gordon
BBC••world
Key Points:
- The UK government has imposed a temporary export ban on an 18th-century marble bust of Sir John Gordon, valued at £3.1 million, to prevent its sale to an overseas buyer.
- The bust, created by French artist Edmé Bouchardon in 1728, is considered of "aesthetic importance" and significant for the study of 18th-century sculpture in Britain and Europe.
- Highland Council proposed selling the bust to raise funds for the Invergordon community, but the Invergordon Museum objected to the export licence application, leading to government intervention.
- The export licence decision has been deferred until 8 April to allow potential UK galleries or museums to acquire the sculpture and keep it in the country
