Christie’s will auction the Clermont-Tonnerre Grail, a rare illuminated manuscript from the Lancelot-Grail Cycle (circa 1300), on July 8 at its Valuable Books and Manuscripts sale in London. Expected to fetch £1.5 million–£2 million ($2 million–$2.6 million), the artifact has remained in private hands for 700 years and is one of only three complete Vulgate Cycle manuscripts in private ownership. The 126 illustrations are attributed to the Master of the Liége Apocalypse, and the manuscript boasts a distinguished provenance including French nobility and British baron Thomas Phillipps.
The auction matters because the manuscript represents a virtually unknown, pristine example of a foundational medieval romance, offering significant research potential for scholars. Its sale could determine whether it enters a public collection—as academics like Irene Fabry-Tehranchi of Cambridge University hope—or remains in private hands. The high estimate and rarity underscore the enduring market value of medieval literary treasures, while the Christie’s sale highlights the tension between private collectors and institutional acquisition of cultural heritage.