Grail Expectations
THERE are lots of Holy Grails out there, and many are clearly fakes and forgeries. But there are over TWO HUNDRED real Holy Grails, sacred vessels from which the Lord Jesus took his final sip at the Last Supper. And so there could easily be a few more of these relics knocking about undiscovered in the backs of cupboards and on dusty shelves. So if you found one, how much would it be worth? We asked experts in the field of religion and antiques how much they think a real Holy Grail would go for.
DAVID DICKINSON, Tangerine-hued antiques dealer
“Like any antique, the Holy Grail is only worth what the person who wants it most at auction – pronounced ‘oction’ – is prepared to pay. If it’s a highend auction of religious paraphernalia at Sotheby’s with wealthy bishops or even the Pope bidding, then the sky is the limit – after all, the Catholic Church has got a bob or two in its back pocket! But if it came up as a job-lot in a box of old tools at a cattle market sale with a load of scrap dealers and car-booters in the crowd, you’re probably not going to get much for it. So if you’ve got the the Holy Grail and you want the best price, be patient and choose your auction, otherwise you could see somebody snapping your priceless relic up cheap as chips.”
JUSTIN WELBY, Archbishop of Canterbury
“The Holy Grail is priceless – not in monetary, but in spiritual terms. For its value lies not in what it is, but in what it represents. Its true worth is in the hope it brings and the comfort it delivers. If you found the Holy Grail, perhaps whilst metal detecting in a field or digging on the beach, your first thought should not be “Gosh, I am truly rich in monetary terms.” Rather it should be “Gosh, I am truly rich spiritually.” And just as with love – where the more you give away, the richer you become – so too, if you gave away the Holy Grail, you would become even more spiritually fulfilled. And if you gave it to me, I would keep it at Westminster Abbey, not for myself but for all of mankind. And I’d insure if for about a million pounds.”
RICHARD DAWKINS, Hell-bound atheist
“If I found the Holy Grail, I wouldn’t believe in it. I would regard is as just a man-made artefact – albeit an ornate and highly decorated one. I would certainly wonder at the skill and artisanship that went into its manufacture, and then I would feel a little despair that a species able to create such beauty would attribute that skill, not to themselves, but to an invisible, imaginary being, heaping thanks upon Him for their abilities. So it would mean nothing to me. Even if Jesus were to have existed, and even if this were the cup that He drank from, it would still be a cup. Interesting and beautiful, but still a meaningless cup. I’d probably stick it on eBay with a Buy It Now of £1000.”
TIM WONNACOTT, Antiques dealer
“I once went to the BATA shoe museum in Toronto, where I saw one of Jimi Hendrix’s shoes on display. As a great fan of the ‘Kiss the Sky’ guitarist, I was deeply moved to be so close to an item of his footwear, so I can imagine the pleasure that seeing a Holy Grail would bring to a big fan of Jesus Christ. Had it been for sale, I would happily have paid £10,000 for Jimi’s shoe, and I imagine that any Christian would be willing to part with a similar amount for a Holy Grail. If there was a pair of shoes, I would have gone up to £50,000, and a pair of Holy Grails would almost certainly go for a similar amount at auction. Or even more if two well-heeled Christian bidders – such as Cliff Richard and Mark Wahlberg out of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch – were in the room.”