Ancient Arthurian Grail Manuscript to Fetch Up to $2.7 Million at Christie’s
A 13th–14th century illuminated manuscript known as the Clermont-Tonnerre Grail—one of the earliest texts of the Arthurian legend featuring Merlin—has been in private hands for about 700 years and is headed to Christie’s in London for a July sale, with an estimated price of up to $2.7 million (£1.5–2 million). The vellum work, dating circa 1290–1310, contains Old French text from the Lancelot-Grail cycle and 126 gold-leaf illustrations; it has never been publicly exhibited or extensively studied, and its provenance traces through a long private collection.