A medieval manuscript containing some of the earliest known tales of King Arthur and the Holy Grail is expected to fetch between £1.5 million and £2 million when it goes under the hammer at Christie's in July. The richly illuminated volume, which has been in private hands for more than 700 years, features 126 miniature illustrations, including a rare depiction of the sorcerer Merlin as a shape-shifting stag.
A Unique Manuscript
Dating from approximately 1290 to 1310, the manuscript contains texts from the Old French Lancelot-Grail cycle, the foundational myths of King Arthur, Merlin, and the Holy Grail. According to Dr Eugenio Donadoni, director of medieval and renaissance manuscripts at Christie's, only three such manuscripts are known to be held in private collections. "Ours is the earliest of the three and the most profusely illustrated. Its text is unique," he said.
Known as the Lebaudy manuscript, after the French industrialist Jean Lebaudy who collected it in the 20th century, it is thought to be the earliest copy of the Lancelot-Grail cycle ever to appear at auction. The manuscript has never been publicly exhibited or comprehensively studied, making this sale a significant opportunity for institutions and scholars.
Artistic and Historical Significance
The manuscript is believed to have been produced by the Master of the Liège Apocalypse, an anonymous artist and illuminator known for his distinctive style. "He evidently was very sought after because the manuscripts he produced were very rich and would have cost a lot of money to make," Donadoni said. "He's got a very characteristic style and does these square-jawed male faces and lovely red dots on the cheeks of his characters."
Many of the miniatures are decorated with burnished gold leaf, which was polished to make it shine. The illustrations depict scenes of battle, courtly life, and magical transformations, including Merlin disguised as a stag or an old herdsman.
Provenance and Ownership
Previous owners of the manuscript include a 15th-century knight, a jouster who died young, and the obsessive medievalist and bibliophile Sir Thomas Phillipps. Jean Lebaudy, who fought in two world wars and twice won the croix de guerre, also owned the manuscript. "You can see how, throughout history, this manuscript might have appealed to these people," Donadoni noted.
Scholarly Interest
Dr Irene Fabry-Tehranchi, a specialist in French texts at Cambridge University Library, described the sale as "amazing" and expressed hope that the manuscript could enter public ownership for the first time. "This private ownership of a key medieval manuscript is a real challenge for scholars. It prevents further research, unfortunately," she said.
After examining scans of the manuscript, Fabry-Tehranchi discovered that the ending of a classic story, known as the Suite Vulgate du Merlin, has been abridged and rewritten. "In the reworked version of the Lebaudy manuscript, we have more of a focus on the battles of Arthur and questions of kingship," she explained. This "different" ending better reflects the opening of the tale, where the king seeks to affirm his legitimacy while facing rebel British barons and fighting Saxon invaders.
"It shows the scribe's own take on the story," she added.
Future Prospects
The manuscript is set to be offered at Christie's valuable books and manuscripts sale on 8 July. Scholars and institutions are hopeful that it will finally become available in a public collection, allowing for further research and public access. However, as Fabry-Tehranchi noted, "nowadays libraries and heritage institutions don't have very much money."
Despite the financial challenges, the sale represents a unique opportunity to acquire a piece of world heritage that has been hidden from public view for centuries.
