 On May 3rd Sotheby’s will be auctioning off a wooden carved bust by Paul Gauguin in New York. The sculpture is to sell for as much as $15 million. The sculpture, entitled ‘Jeune tahitienne’ was carved between 1891 and 1893 on his first trips to Tahiti.

The sculpture is believed to have had fresh flowers engrained into the sculpture as well that are now missing. Simon Shaw, Sotheby’s head of Impressionist and Modern Art said, “It’s rare to see a piece of art of such great quality and with such a great story, it’s truly unique.”

The piece is only 9.5 inches tall and it as been seen by public view since 1961. Until the show, the bust will be exhibited in Hong Kong, London and New York.

Paul Gauguin’s Sculpture Valued at $15 Million

Sharp-eyed curators spot that sketch is an artist’s original, rather than a copy