Comments from the CEO: Knockout bids for Swedish masters and an Oriental surprise

It was clearer than ever that our customers have an eye for the very best quality in art. 

Reveil, Boulevard Clichy, the watercolour by Anders Zorn that seduced our customers at the viewing, gave a flying start to the sale, setting a new record for the artist’s interiors on the first day of the auction. The work sold for SEK 15.3 million. August Strindberg’s The Birch Tree I (Autumn) also offered exciting and enthusiastic bidding, selling finally for SEK 8,620,000. All three works by Carl Larsson fetched very good prices (in the millions). The other major trend in the market, increasing online bidding, also made itself felt on the first day when a customer placed an online bid of SEK 5,350,000 on the Strindberg under hammer, the highest online bid at Bukowskis to date.

A French 17th century tapestry from Atelier de la Chaise also sold for SEK 496,000 during the first day. The colours of the tapestry were extremely well preserved, making it a true gem.

The theme of the auction was Swedish masters, and so it was on the second day, when two lots of furniture sold well in the million range. A commode by Gottlieb Iwersson sold for SEK 2,572,000 and encoignures by George Haupt went for SEK 1,255,000.

A work by a student of Rembrandt’s fetched ten times the estimate when Samuel van Hoogstraten’s Portrait of a Studying Youth was secured by the Nationalmuseum. The final price came to SEK 2,572,000 (estimate SEK 250,000–300,000) after very intense bidding. Another rarity was also snatched up by an institution, when the Östasiatiska (East Asian) museum bid highest for a punch bowl from the Qing Dynasty, Qianlong (1736–95). The final price was SEK 1,05,000 (estimate SEK 400,000–600,000).

At the end of Day 2, another small masterpiece went under the hammer at the Classic Sale, a Gothic ivory statuette from 13th century France, fetching a very good price. Virgin and Child was finally sold for just over one million SEK.

Day 3 was dominated by the large Jewellery Department, which also sold for record prices, including to bids in the million range. One of them was a ring, the most expensive ever to have been sold in Sweden: final price SEK 2,389,000. The diamond has a so-called cushion cut, it weighs 17.62 cts and is set with two half-moon-cut diamonds, total appr. 2.50 cts.

On Day 4 the auction changed character, time and place when the extensive Oriental Department, the largest in the market, came under the hammer. Many customers had flown in all the way from China and elsewhere to participate live in the salesroom, but there were also online and telephone bidders. Bids in the millions followed in succession, and the auction came to a total of SEK 21 274 000, several times the estimate. Oriental art and objects are hotter than ever, making sales highly profitable.

Bukowskis had two record auctions this spring when the Modern and the Contemporary sales came to a shared total of SEK 120 million, a first in Bukowskis history. The Classic Sale almost doubled that sum, reinforcing Bukowskis position as the market leader in all segments and epochs as well as departments such as art, furniture, Orientalia, carpets and jewellery. Overall, Bukowskis Classic Sale is greater in scope that all corresponding auctions of our colleagues in the business. The Classic Sale alone had sixteen final bids in the million range. The Spring Classic Sale: Total, including buyer's commission: SEK 106 780 000.

Consignments for the autumn auctions are now being accepted. Do not hesitate to contact our specialists, especially if you wish to sell something like these:

Spring Classic Sale - works sold for more than SEK 1 Million
1. Anders Zorn, Reveil, Boulevard Clichy. SEK 15 290 000
2. August Strindberg, The Birch Tree I (Autumn).. SEK 8 620 000
3. Carl Larsson, The Fence/By the Fence. SEK 3 338 000
4. Carl Larsson, "Min gårdsplan". SEK 3 246 000
5. Samuel van Hoogstraten,  Portrait of a studying youth. SEK 2 572 000
6. DIAMOND RING. SEK 2 389 000
7. COMMODE, av Gottlieb Iwersson 1783. SEK 2 572 000
8. Carl Larsson, Esbjörn by His Own Apple Tree. SEK 2 083 000
9. Anders Zorn, In the Loft. SEK 1 562 000
10. DIAMOND BRACELET. SEK 1 348 000
11. ENCOIGNURES, a pair, by Georg Haupt., SEK 1 225 000
12. Li Kuchan "Crane, Cliff, Bamboo and Lotus". SEK 1 200 000
13. VASE, porcelaine. SEK 1 164 000
14. TRIPOD CENSER, cloisonne. Ming dynastin. SEK 1 041 000
15. Statuette, Virgin Mary with Child. SEK 1 029 000
16. PUNCH BOWL, kompaniporslin. Qing dynastin, Qianlong. SEK 1 005 000
(The price includes commission and droit de suite.)

Spring Season 2012 - All the works sold for more than SEK 1 Million

Have a great summer!
Michael Storåkers