Christie's auction Lebaudy Arthurian manuscript for £2m
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- Christie's will auction the Lebaudy manuscript in its valuable books and manuscripts sale on 8 July, estimating a price of £1.5 million to £2 million.
- Lebaudy manuscript dates from c.1290‑1310, contains 126 miniature illustrations from the Old French Lancelot‑Grail cycle, and includes a rare gold‑leaf depiction of Merlin as a stag.
- Dr Eugenio Donadoni notes that only three such Lancelot‑Grail manuscripts are in private collections, and the Lebaudy manuscript is the earliest, most richly illustrated, with a unique text.
- Dr Irene Fabry‑Tehranchi says the manuscript has never been publicly exhibited, limiting scholarly study, and hopes it will enter a public collection despite limited funding for libraries.
- Master of the Liège Apocalypse is identified as the likely illuminator, known for square‑jawed male faces and red cheek dots, whose costly gold‑leaf work made the manuscript expensive to produce.
Why it matters: If a museum or library secures the Lebaudy manuscript, scholars gain unprecedented access to its unique illustrations and variant Arthurian text, while private owners retain control over a key cultural artifact. The £1.5‑£2 million price tag, however, makes acquisition challenging for cash‑strapped public institutions.
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