Rare King Arthur Manuscript to Be Auctioned in London

A rare medieval manuscript containing one of the earliest known versions of the King Arthur legend will be sold at auction in London on July 8. The artifact, which has remained in private collections for approximately 700 years, is expected to fetch between 1.5 million and 2.7 million.

The manuscript, known as the Clermont-Tonnerre Grail or the Lebaudy Manuscript, dates from between 1290 and 1310. It contains Old French text from the Lancelot-Grail cycle, a series of stories chronicling the quest for the Holy Grail and the adventures of King Arthur, Merlin, and the Knights of the Round Table. Auction house Christie's describes it as one of only three complete manuscripts of this cycle remaining in private hands and the earliest of the three.

The volume features 126 richly detailed illustrations, many embellished with burnished gold leaf. Art historians attribute the illuminations to an anonymous artist known as the Master of the Liege Apocalypse, active around the turn of the 14th century. The illustrations depict scenes including the wizard Merlin shapeshifting into various forms. The manuscript is written on vellum and is noted for its exceptional state of preservation.