A 13-inch sculpture model that Barbara Hepworth gave her doctor has resurfaced for auction in Cornwall, where the aluminium-and-string study for her famous Winged Figure could fetch as much as £80,000

Few people consider doctors to be an imitation of God. Not sure about God, but doctors certainly hold a special place of trust and respect in people's hearts. And sometimes, the relationship between a doctor and a patient extends far beyond the consulting room.

Something similar happened between British sculptor Barbara Hepworth and her doctor, Roger Slack. Their friendship eventually became so meaningful that Hepworth gifted him a miniature sculpture of one of her most celebrated works. Nearly six decades later, that very sculpture has resurfaced and could fetch as much as £80,000 at an auction in Cornwall.The 13-inch (33 cm) aluminium-and-string sculpture is a miniature version of Hepworth's famous Winged Figure, which stands on the exterior of the John Lewis department store on Oxford Street, London.

The artwork, signed and dated 1967 and numbered 5/9, was gifted to Dr Slack as a personal token of appreciation.