JS Bach's handwritten manuscript for his Prelude, Fugue and Allegro for lute or keyboard in E flat major will sell at Christie's on July 13.

It's valued at £1.5m-2.5m ($2.1m-3.5m).

This is the first complete Bach manuscript to come to auction since 1996

This piece dates to circa 1735-1740.

It's considered one of the composer's finest solo works from his late period.

Complete Bach manuscripts are extremely rare, with only 10 or so held in private hands.

Of these, only three have appeared at auction in the past 30 years - with this being the first since 1996.

Christie's comments: "Fewer than twenty Bach manuscripts of any kind, including fragments and partially autograph or amended orchestral parts, have been offered for public sale since 1970: all were scores or parts for church cantatas.

"According to our research, no manuscript of any kind for a secular or instrumental work has appeared at auction since the present manuscript in 1968."

Bach is one of history's most acclaimed composers and so his memorabilia sells at a premium.

A rare copy of his Clavier Ubung part two realised £449,000 ($650,421) at Sotheby's earlier this year.

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