Export ban placed on £3m sculpture of Sir John Gordon.

The UK has placed a temporary export ban on an 18th-century marble bust of Sir John Gordon by Edmé Bouchardon, valued at about £3.1m; the export licence decision has been deferred until 8 April to allow UK institutions to make offers.

The UK government has placed a temporary export ban on an 18th-century marble bust of Sir John Gordon. The sculpture was made by French artist Edmé Bouchardon in 1728 and has a recommended sale price of about £3.1m. Highland Council, which cares for the work, proposed selling it to raise funds for the Invergordon community. Culture minister Baroness Twycross said the intervention was made in the hope a UK gallery or museum could acquire the piece. Key details: - The bust is an 18th-century marble work by Edmé Bouchardon depicting Highland landowner Sir John Gordon. - Highland Council proposed the sale to raise funds for the town of Invergordon, historically linked to the Gordon family. - The government placed a temporary export ban following advice from the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA). - The committee highlighted the bust's aesthetic importance and its outstanding significance for the study of 18th-century sculpture in Britain and Europe. - The decision on the export licence application has been deferred until 8 April to allow time for offers from UK institutions. Summary: The temporary ban preserves an opportunity for UK galleries or museums to seek acquisition of the bust while the export licence decision is paused. The next formal milestone is the deferred licence decision on 8 April, when any offers will be considered.