A medieval manuscript chronicling the legends of King Arthur, Merlin, and the Holy Grail is set to be auctioned for an estimated £1.5 million to £2 million. The manuscript, dating from approximately 1290 to 1310, depicts stories from the Lancelot-Grail Cycle, a collection of Old French texts from the 13th century whose authorship remains unknown.

The volume, known as the Lebaudy manuscript after a former owner, Jean Lebaudy, a French industrialist, has been held privately for around 700 years and has not been publicly exhibited or extensively studied by scholars. Crafted on vellum and embellished with gold leaf, the manuscript features 126 miniature illustrations. These include scenes such as the Knights of the Round Table returning from battle and Merlin transforming into a talking stag.

Experts consider this manuscript to be the earliest Lancelot-Grail version ever offered at auction. It will be presented by Christie’s on July 8. According to Dr. Eugenio Donadoni, director of medieval and Renaissance manuscripts at Christie’s, the manuscript appeals to both public institutions and private collectors due to its rich historical, artistic, textual, and cultural significance. He noted that the Christian themes, particularly the quest for the Holy Grail, alongside the chivalric adventures, jousts, and battles, enhance its universal interest.

The manuscript’s ownership history includes several notable figures, such as Michel de Gronnais, a 16th-century knight; Michel de Chaverson, a jouster; the French aristocrat comte de Clermont-Tonnerre; Sir Thomas Phillipps, a well-known 19th-century collector; and Lebaudy himself. Only three such manuscripts are known to be held in private hands, with this one recognized as the earliest and most richly illustrated among them.

The illustrations bear stylistic connections to a group of artists from Metz, associated with works such as the Ste-Glossinde Charter of 1293, a Psalter-Hours currently housed at the Médiathèque Verlaine in Metz, and a vernacular Apocalypse manuscript held in Liège. The leading artist behind these works remains anonymous, identified solely by the Apocalypse manuscript in Liège, with no additional biographical information available.