Kai Nielsen’s “Aarhuspigen” from 1921 fetched a price of DKK 1.2 million, making it the highest hammer price in the autumn auction.

Hammer prices and museum acquisitions

This autumn’s Live Auction in Lyngby, which has just ended, featured a rare “White Glove sale”, three million-krone hammer prices, a couple of auction records, and the acquisition of nine items by museums.

At this autumn’s Live Auction in mid-September, a large selection of art, design, antiques, jewellery, wristwatches and bags went under the hammer in the auction room in Lyngby. The auction attracted passionate interior design enthusiasts, art collectors and museum representatives from all over the world, who placed bids in the auction room, over the phone or online throughout the week.

The interior from Danske Bank – “White Glove Sale”

One sale in particular made the headlines. It was the large collection of art, design and antiques from Danske Bank’s former headquarters at Holmens Kanal. The sale was spread over three auctions – a Live Auction followed by two Online Auctions. The total hammer price came to approx. DKK 4.6 million, the high jumpers being a large set of furniture in French Regency style, which fetched a hammer price of DKK 105,000, and William Scharff’s rider motif, which sold for DKK 100,000. No fewer than 354 catalogue numbers went under the hammer at the three sales, all of which found a buyer. The sale of the furnishings from Danske Bank thus achieved the rare distinction of being a “White Glove Sale”, a term used in the auction industry to signify that every single lot was sold.

The Louis XVI crystal chandelier from the late 18th century was a part of Danske Bank and fetched a hammer price on DKK 90,000.

Fetching DKK 1 million, Axel Salto’s stoneware vase with blue mussel glaze was one of auction’s three highest hammer prices.

The auction’s best hammer prices

A piece of Aarhus history commanded the auction’s highest hammer price, as the iconic bronze sculpture “Aarhuspigen” (The Aarhus Girl) by sculptor Kai Nielsen, dating from 1921, fetched a hammer price of DKK 1.2 million. Two items achieved hammer prices of around DKK 1 million: Per Kirkeby’s 1985 work “Efter stormen I” (After the Storm I) and a blue stoneware vase by Axel Salto in his rippled, budding, and sprouting style. The auction also resulted in two auction records – Poul Anker Bech’s painting “Den store køllemand” (The Golfer), which went for DKK 480,000, and Kasper Eistrup’s “Ancient Celebration”, which fetched DKK 190,000. When it came to Wilhelm Freddie’s masterful “Paris’ Dom” (The Judgement of Paris) from 1986, the price fetched was a record for one of the artist’s late-period works, with the impressive hammer price of DKK 400,000. The big surprises of the auction were a gold bracelet watch from Audemars Piguet, which sold for 425% above the estimate, fetching a hammer price of DKK 85,000, and Sigvard Bernadotte’s cocktail set from Georg Jensen, which went for a hammer price of DKK 280,000, having been estimated at DKK 50-60,000.

Wilhelm Freddie’s “Paris' Dom” from 1986 went for a hammer price of DKK 400,000, which is an auction record for one of the artist’s late-period works.

Works for museums

A wide range of museums were represented at the auction, on the lookout for new works for their collections. No fewer than nine of the auction’s artefacts found their way to a museum, and we’ve been given permission to publish the names of five of them. The museums in question are Designmuseum Danmark, which acquired an exquisite, lidded jar by Fanny Garde, a trailblazing woman in the field of ceramics. J.F. Willumsens Museum in Frederikssund purchased Willumsen’s fine portrait of his daughter Ingemor Gersemi with funding from the Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces, while the artist Christine Swane’s work “Skovbillede” (Forest Picture) went to the Johannes Larsen Museum. A 19th-century silver pen tray found its new home at Museum Sønderjylland (The Museum of Southern Jutland), and the Royal Danish Collection has now been enriched with a 16th- century portrait of Christian III. As an auction house, we’re delighted to offer museum-quality art, and we congratulate all the museums on their acquisitions!

Fanny Garde’s lidded jar from Bing & Grøndahl (1915–1928) was acquired by Designmuseum Danmark for a hammer price of DKK 30,000.

Museum acquisitions

view the list here

Obtain a valuation and sell at auction!

Do you have art, design, antiques, watches or jewellery that you’d like to sell at auction? We’re currently on the lookout for items for the next Live Auction in December and for the many Online Auctions this autumn. Obtain a professional valuation by our top specialists – either in person at one of our departments in Lyngby or Aarhus or conveniently online at bruun-rasmussen.dk. If you have particularly valuable items or a large collection, we’re also happy to visit you at home for a valuation.