Arne Jacobsen’s rare freestanding three-seater "Novo" sofa. Estimate: DKK 400,000-600,000/€ 53,000-80,000. The large Axel Salto stoneware vase is estimated at DKK 700,000-800,000/€ 94,000-105.000.
Arne Jacobsen’s rare freestanding three-seater "Novo" sofa. Estimate: DKK 400,000-600,000/€ 53,000-80,000. The large Axel Salto stoneware vase is estimated at DKK 700,000-800,000/€ 94,000-105.000.

Press release -

A Sofa for the Boss – an early Arne Jacobsen Design up for Auction

Discover an early furniture design by the architect Arne Jacobsen. A rare sofa from the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk will be up for auction on 4 June at Bruun Rasmussen’s Live Auction.

Arne Jacobsen (1902-71) is best known for his designs from the 1950s, where he delivered one immortal classic after the other - the "Ant", “Egg” and "Swan" chairs to name just a few. At this auction, we shed light on his early years as a furniture designer with an extremely rare overstuffed mahogany sofa in patinated natural leather. Only two examples of the sofa are known to exist.

The sofa dates from 1935 – a decade where Jacobsen designed functionalist buildings such as "Bellevista" in Klampenborg and City Hall in Aarhus. In 1934, he was given the assignment to create a modern factory plant for Novo Nordisk. It was in connection with this project that Jacobsen designed the sofa by special order for the building's head offices.

View all the design lots up for auction

Auction:Tuesday 4 June at 5pm at Bredgade 33 in Copenhagen

Preview:23-27 May at the same address

Topics

Bruun Rasmussen Auctioneers is one of Scandinavia’s leading international auction houses, and one of Denmark’s oldest. It all started on 6 October 1948, when Arne Bruun Rasmussen conducted the first traditional auction in the saleroom at Bredgade 33 in Copenhagen. Today, Jesper Bruun Rasmussen stands at the helm of the family-run business together with the third generation of the family, his son Frederik and daughter Alexa, and the company’s CEO Jakob Dupont.

In 2004, the first online auction was launched, and today the auction house has expanded to include departments in Copenhagen and Aarhus and representations in Sweden, Germany, England, France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Spain, Italy, Thailand and the US. About 100,000 lots are put up for auction each year at the traditional auctions, the daily online auctions and - the latest edition - direct auctions. Here you can bid on everything from art, antiques, modern design and jewellery to books, coins, stamps, wine and weaponry.

Contacts

Kirstine Dam Olsen

Kirstine Dam Olsen

Press contact +45 8818 1064

Related media Download images for media use

Arne Jacobsen’s unique ”Novo” sofa, Axel Salto’s large stoneware vase and a carpet woven by Barbro Nilsson.
  • Arne Jacobsen’s unique ”Novo” sofa, Axel Salto’s large stoneware vase and a carpet woven by Barbro Nilsson.
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Arne Jacobsen’s ”Novo” sofa with round mahogany legs.
  • Arne Jacobsen’s ”Novo” sofa with round mahogany legs.
  • License: Media Use
    The content may be downloaded by journalists, bloggers, columnists, creators of public opinion, etc. It can be used and shared in different media channels to convey, narrate, and comment on your press releases, posts, or information, provided that the content is unmodified. The author or creator shall be attributed to the extent and in the manner required by good practice (this means, for example, that photographers should be attributed).
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Bruun Rasmussen – Part of the Bonhams Network

"Going once, going twice. Sold to the lady in the front row". For more than 75 years, the auction house Bruun Rasmussen has sold art, antiques, design, jewellery, wristwatches and collector’s items such as wine, books, coins and stamps. After having been family-owned through three generations, we were bought in 2022 by the English auction house Bonhams, which was founded in England in 1793 and is today one of the world's leading auction houses. We are now part of an international network with a global reach, and we present and sell art where it makes the most sense in relation to potential buyers. This also means that through the network we offer more than 60 categories of items at our auctions.

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Denmark
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