A “remarkable” sculpture that was lost for half a century has been rediscovered in a headmaster’s office in Dorset.
Single Form by Dame Barbara Hepworth was identified during an inventory of artefacts at Bryanston School.
The bronze sculpture had been bequeathed to Bryanston in 1975 by a former governor, but its provenance had been forgotten, until now.
The private school, in Blandford Forum, said it would auction the piece to fund its bursary for talented young artists.
The 1962 artwork was inspired by Dame Barbara’s 1937 carving in lignum vitae of the same name, which is displayed at the Courtauld Gallery in London.
The sculptor had donated it to a Save the Children charity auction in 1963, where it was bought by the former governor who later bequeathed it to Bryanston School.
The school said the Hepworth Estate had lost track of the piece until it was recognised by its newly appointed archivist, Laura Sweetenham.
Guy Schwinge of the art advisers Hanover Forbes described it as “a remarkable work by the most important female sculptor of the 20th century”.
Headmaster Richard Jones said: “The rediscovery of this statue means we have the exciting prospect of providing opportunities for talented students who might not otherwise be able to benefit from a Bryanston education.”
Single Form will be auctioned by Duke’s, Dorchester, on 17 April.