By Hayley Dixon PUBLISHED: 05:40 EST, 30 November 2012 | UPDATED: 06:36 EST, 30 November 2012 A small bronze sculpture that was dismissed as a 'humble' paperweight for decades has been confirmed as an £80,000 Barbara Hepworth. The 1965 work, called Oval Form, sat on the headteacher's desk at St Ives School for years and was originally used as a house prize when students performed well. But was revealed as 'probably the most expensive paperweight in the world' by stunned experts on BBC's Antiques Roadshow on Sunday. The £80,000 sculpture Oval Form, pictured, was originally used as a prize for academic achievement before it became one of the world's most expensive paperweights
@highlight
Sculpture was originally used as a prize for academic achievement
@highlight
St Ives School in Cornwall has vowed to keep artwork despite its value
@highlight
It was gifted by the artist herself who was a governor at the school
'The guy on @placeholder said it will be in the upper reaches because it's such a beautiful domestic piece.