Picture Post: Holy Lotta Art: Jimmy Page's tapestry

News in pictures
News in pictures
On Facebook
Arts & Ents blogs

Too few kids are getting cultural experiences

So half of all parents believe that it isn’t their job to teach their children about history and cul...

Interview with ‘Being Human’ creator Toby Whithouse

The writer behind BBC3’s supernatural comedy-drama ‘Being Human’ speaks to Neela Debnath about serie...

Looking Forward To The Past: A chat with Poker Flat boss Steve Bug

One of the main reasons I became so obsessive with house and techno music was a live DJ set by Germa...

view gallery VIEW GALLERY

When rock stars reach the top of their game, they are prone to making extravagant purchases. And when they've come back down to earth, there's a place for them to dispose of the swag – art auctions. Next week, The Quest for the Holy Grail: the Achievement, a tapestry by Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones, will go under the hammer at Sotheby's. The masterpiece is expected to fetch £1m and its vendor is none other than Jimmy Page, guitarist in the recently reformed Led Zeppelin.

Page purchased it 30 years ago when the band's original line-up was enjoying its decadent final months. The depiction of the Arthurian knights Galahad, Bors and Percival finally getting their gauntlets on the Holy Grail probably tickled the same sensibilities that produced the more portentous moments of the album Led Zeppelin IV.

But where, one might ask, did the drug-addled Page imagine he might hang the 24ft by 8ft tapestry? Perhaps it's taken him three decades to work out that it doesn't quite fit above the headboard in the master bedroom. In fact, the silver-haired double-neck axe-wielder is extremely fond of Pre-Raphaelite painting, and has a considerable collection of similar works, including five stained-glass panels by Burne-Jones, which will also feature in the sale on 20 March.

The tapestry is the star buy in an auction of the best of 19th and 20th-century British design, organised by Sotheby's in conjunction with antiques specialist – and Lovejoy to the stars – Paul Reeves. He boasts a client list that includes Page, Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand and Brad Pitt. Among the 130-plus lots in the Sotheby's sale will be pieces from the collection of Spandau Ballet's Gary Kemp.

The public is granted an audience at Sotheby's in Bond Street, London, from tomorrow. Head-banging or moshing will be discouraged.

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Career Services

Day In a Page

How an abortion divided America

How an abortion divided America

Single mother who took a pill to end her pregnancy is now fighting a landmark prosecution in a conservative state
Can you master a language in a weekend?

Can you master a language in a weekend?

Ed Cooke insists he can use his techniques as a memory expert to help novices learn even the hardest tongues.
The 10 best heaters

The 10 best heaters

From the DeLonghi Retro Fan Heater to the Dimplex MicroFire
Coming soon to a shelf near you: The publishing industry has gone mad for film-style trailers

Coming soon to a shelf near you

The publishing industry has gone mad for film-style trailers
Mad, bad and delightful to know: How Lord Byron became a cultural superstar

How Lord Byron became a cultural superstar

As the poet takes centre stage in the West End, Boyd Tonkin looks into the life of the outspoken champion of the poor
Did they all live happily ever after? That's up to you...

Did they all live happily ever after? That's up to you...

New digital novel will overturn centuries of literary tradition by allowing readers to choose how they would like story to end
How to look good for less – Primark in copycat row

How to look good for less – Primark in copycat row

With London Fashion Week starting tomorrow, designers are closeted in studios putting finishing touches to their collections
James Lawton: Arsène and Arsenal are living in the past

James Lawton

Arsène and Arsenal are living in the past
How Docherty's resurgent Reds beat Dutch greats

How Docherty's resurgent Reds beat Dutch greats

United have met Ajax only once before in Europe, in 1976. The key performers recall an electric occasion
Civil war at Ajax

Civil war at Ajax

A rift between two club legends has torn the Dutch giants apart
Lewis Moody: For an idea of where England are headed, look at Wales now

Lewis Moody column

For an idea of where England are headed, look at Wales now
Geoff Toovey: Little gem with huge incentive to become king of the world

Geoff Toovey interview

Little gem with huge incentive to become king of the world
Picture preview: Portrait of London

Portrait of London

Picture preview
No secularism please, we're British

No secularism please, we're British

Arguments about the role of religion in national life have recently acquired a new urgency
Harold Tillman: 'Chinese tourists can save the high street – if we let them'

Harold Tillman interview

'Chinese tourists can save the high street – if we let them'