CHRISTIE'S TO SELL ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS VALUED AT £16 MILLION

AN 'OUTSTANDING' AN UNIQUE COLLECTION OF ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS OWNED BY KINGS, BISHOPS AND THE ARISTOCRACY IS EXPECTED TO FETCH UP TO £16 MILLION WHEN IT GOES UP FOR AUCTION. THE PRIVATE COLLECTION, WHICH CHRISTIE'S DESCRIBES AS THE MOST VALUABLE OF ITS KIND EVER TO BE OFFERED AT AUCTION, INCLUDES THE PERSONAL PRAYER-BOOKS OF KING FRANCOIS I OF FRANCE AND ELIZABETH DE BOHUN, DAUGHTER OF KING HENRY V OF ENGLAND. THE ARCANA COLLECTION: EXCEPTIONAL ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS AND INCUNABULA, WHICH HAS A TOTAL ESTIMATE OF BETWEEN £11 MILLION AND £16 MILLION, WILL GO ON SALE IN JULY. BUT THE SALE IS JUST THE FIRST PART OF THE AUCTION AND MORE WORKS WHICH ARE CURRENTLY BEING VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO BE OFFERED TO BIDDERS OVER THE NEXT 18 MONTHS. THE MANUSCRIPTS ARE OWNED BY AN ANONYMOUS AMERICAN COLLECTOR, WHO SPENT THREE DECADES AMASSING THE HISTORIC ITEMS. THE ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS ARE INTRICATELY HANDWRITTEN BOOKS WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AND DECORATIONS PAINTED IN BRILLIANT COLOURS AND GOLD. MARGARET FORD, HEAD OF BOOKS AND MANUSCRIPTS AT THE LONDON AUCTION HOUSE, SAID, 'THIS IS A TRULY EXCEPTIONAL COLLECTION. . . THEY ARE MASTERPIECES OF MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE ART, MANY COMMISSIONED BY IMPORTANT PATRONS. BOOK OF HOURS ARE AMONG THE MOST PERSONAL ARTWORKS. USED FOR PRIVATE DEVOTION, THEY ARE ALSO INTENDED TO REFLECT THE WEALTH AND STATUS OF THE OWNER AND LEADING ARTISTS AND CRAFTSMEN WERE ENGAGED IN THEIR CREATION. THE ARCANA COLLECTION OFFERS THE BEST EXAMPLES OF THEIR TYPE, RANGING FROM BOOKS OF HOURS TO WORKS OF LITERATURE AND ON THE NATURAL WORLD.' THE COLLECTION OF 48 STUNNING LOTS WILL GO UNDER THE HAMMER ON 7.JULY AT CHRISTIE'S LONDON.
The collection of 48 lots will go under the hammer on July 7 in London.