The tales of King Arthur and Merlin have been told for centuries, mythologized and rewritten into a legend that has influenced the way we tell stories. Now, one of the earliest surviving manuscripts is up for auction at Christie’s in July 2026, and the sale is likely to reach a whopping $2 million.
The manuscript, which is believed to be the earliest edition of the stories ever at auction, is from roughly 1290–1310. Within its illustrious pages can be found texts from the Old French Lancelot-Grail cycle, including the original myths of King Arthur, Merlin, and the Holy Grail. Additionally, the manuscript contains 126 miniature illustrations that depict scenes such as Joseph, Josephus, and his companions carrying the Holy Grail as they journey to Camelot, as well as a rare portrait of Merlin as a stag. The miniatures, in highly polished burnished gold, still shine brightly.
Due to its value, the manuscript has been in the hands of the ultra-wealthy for centuries, so the auction could be an exciting opportunity for scholars to study the text. However, due to the price and desirability, the manuscript may once again end up in a private collection. In relation to this, Dr. Irene Fabry-Tehranchi, a specialist in French texts at Cambridge University Library, said to The Guardian that “I hope that … it will finally become available in a public collection. The problem is, of course, that nowadays libraries and heritage institutions don’t have very much money. [But] these institutions are there to preserve these texts and to make them publicly available.”
The opportunity to study the manuscript could change the way medievalists and scholars understand this historic text and open up discussions around how the story of King Arthur has changed over time. More than 700 years after it was written, the tales still hold immense influence over modern storytelling. Wherever its final destination may be, the manuscript offers an incredible glimpse into the medieval origins of one of history’s most prevailing tales.
The tales of King Arthur and Merlin have been told for centuries, mythologized and rewritten into a legend that has influenced the way we tell stories.
Now, one of the earliest surviving manuscripts is up for auction at Christie’s in July 2026, and the sale is likely to reach a whopping $2 million.
The manuscript contains 126 miniature illustrations made with burnished gold.
The opportunity to study the manuscript could change the way that medievalists and scholars understand the historic text.
All images via Christie's.
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