Classic Danish Design Takes Off at Auction!

At Monday's design auction at Bruun Rasmussen in Copenhagen, it was the iconic furniture pieces from well-known architects such as Flemming Lassen, Finn Juhl and Kaare Klint that achieved the highest prices. "The Tired Man" by Flemming Lassen was sold for DKK 610,000 (€107,000 including buyer’s premium).

"Rarities, documentation, provenance and original fine condition are keywords for the buyers when they bid at our auctions, and the most well-known Danish architects performed the best at Monday's auction. Flemming Lassen's upholstered armchair "The Tired Man" has long been a sought-after commodity on the auction market, and his very rare upholstered sofa has only followed suit. This is also true of Finn Juhl's two very rare, upholstered sofas from the 1940s that also achieved fine hammer prices. The furniture pieces of the father of Danish design Kaare Klint also had a good day at the auction, including a set with his most iconic chair "The Red Chair" and a rare sofa from the 1920s-30s, both of which were made for the Designmuseum Denmark in Copenhagen. The original leather cover was crucial in determining the price," says Peter Kjelgaard, Head of the 20th Century Design Department of Bruun Rasmussen.

Top 6 of the Auction

1) Flemming Lassen:"The Tired Man". Easy chair upholstered with yellow wool, back fitted with buttons. Mounted on round legs of lacquered mahogany. Designed 1935. This example made approx. 1936-1939 by cabinetmaker A.J. Iversen. Estimate: DKK 400,000. Sold for: DKK 610,000 (€107,000 including buyer’s premium).

2) Flemming Lassen: Freestanding three-seater sofa with round nutwood legs. Sides, seat and back upholstered with grey Kvadrat wool, sides and back fitted with buttons. This example made approx. 1940 by cabinetmaker Jacob Kjær. L. 205 cm. Estimate: DKK 400,000. Sold for: DKK 560,000 (€97,500 including buyer’s premium).

3) Finn Juhl: Freestanding two-seater sofa and matching easy chair with round, tapering legs of respectively stained mahogany and teak. Sides, seat and back are upholstered with blue wool. Manufactured early 1950s by Søren Willadsen, Vejen, sofa with label from here. Sofa: L. 145 cm. Estimate: DKK 200,000. Sold for DKK 360,000 (€63,000 including buyer’s premium).

4) Finn Juhl: Rare, freestanding two-seater sofa in a slightly curved shape, with legs of mahogany, brass “shoes”. Front, sides and deep-bodied back upholstered with dark blue wool, seat and buttons in back with grey wool. Designed 1945. Produced approx. 1945 by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder. L. 134. The model was presented together with "FJ 45" and "The Dream Table” at the Copenhagen Cabinetmaker’s Guild Exhibition at Designmuseum Danmark in 1945. Estimate: DKK 150,000-200,000. Sold for: DKK 280,000 (€49,000 including buyer’s premium).

5) Kaare Klint: Three-seater sofa on eight, profiled mahogany legs. Sides, seat and back upholstered with patinated Niger leather, fitted with leather covered buttons and edges with brass nails. This example made late 1920s – early 1930s by Rud. Rasmussen Cabinetmakers. L. 200 cm. Kaare Klint designed all the furniture for the Designmuseum Danmark in the late 1920s. The sofa here was made for the official residence of the director in Bredgade. Estimate: DKK 100,000-120,000. Sold for DKK 260,000 (€45,000 including buyer’s premium).

6) Kaare Klint: "The Red Chair". A set of six chairs with profiled Cuban mahogany frame. Seat and back upholstered with patinated Niger leather, fitted with brass nails. Model 39490. Designed 1927. These examples made late 1930s by Rud. Rasmussen Cabinetmakers, with maker's paper label. This model was designed for the lecture hall at The Museum of Arts and Crafts (now Designmuseum Danmark). Estimate: DKK 100,000. Sold for DKK 220,000 (€38,000 including buyer’s premium).

World record on furniture by Jacob Hermann

At the design auction there was an exquisite selection of organic furniture by Jacob Hermann. A unique table bench of solid Caucasian walnut from 1972 was sold at DKK 85,000 (€ 14,820 including buyer’s premium), which is the highest hammer price ever achieved on a piece of furniture by Jacob Hermann.