A 13th-century illuminated manuscript known as the Clermont-Tonnerre Grail, which has been hidden in a private collection for 700 years, will be offered at Christie’s Valuable Books and Manuscripts auction in July. The manuscript, devoted to the quest for the Holy Grail, Merlin, and King Arthur, is estimated at £1.5 million–£2 million ($2 million–$2.6 million). It is one of only three such manuscripts in private hands, with around 200 held by institutions.
The sale matters because the manuscript’s private ownership has long hindered scholarly research, as noted by text specialist Irene Fabry-Tehranchi of Cambridge University Library. If acquired by a public institution, it would become accessible to researchers and the public, preserving a key piece of medieval literature. The auction also highlights the ongoing challenge of funding for heritage institutions, which often struggle to compete with private collectors for rare cultural artifacts.