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Poul Henningsen: "PH Grand Piano". Black stained wood, chrome steel and edge covered with black leather. Sold for: DKK 2,450,000 (EUR 430,000 including buyer’s premium).
Poul Henningsen: "PH Grand Piano". Black stained wood, chrome steel and edge covered with black leather. Sold for: DKK 2,450,000 (EUR 430,000 including buyer’s premium).

Press release -

Musical Design Treasure Sets New World Record

Bruun Rasmussen’s 70th anniversary auction concluded on a high note as Danish design came under the hammer Thursday evening. A musical instrument garnered quite a lot of the attention during a bidding round where it was knocked down for several million Danish kroner.

The auction's absolute highlight ended up being the sale of a grand piano created by the lighting designer Poul Henningsen (popularly known as "PH"). A fierce and 20-minute-long bidding battle between two phone bidders ended with a new world record for the "PH grand piano" with a hammer price of DKK 2,450,000 (EUR 430,000 including buyer’s premium).

The attention-grabbing instrument is a testimony to Henningsen's functionalism and was designed in 1931 as a way to deal with the lack of space in the small jazz venues. The lid and sheet holder are made of plexiglass to allow eye contact between the pianist and bass player, and the welded steel legs allowed room for the drummer's bass drum right next to the grand piano. At the same time, the leather on the sides of the piano made it easier to handle when transported from place to place.

Famous Players on the Piano

The piano in question was used at the restaurant "Belle Terrasse" in Tivoli, Copenhagen, during the period 1952-1997, where famous guests and musicians, such as Victor Borge, Liberace and Herbert von Karajan, sat down and had a go at the keys.

"This is a world record for Poul Henningsen at an auction and the highest hammer price for a piece of design here in Denmark. It is quite clear that we struck a chord here. Of course, the high hammer price is due to two passionate and stubborn bidders, but the provenance of the piano also played a part, as many iconic names of cultural history have been in contact with this grand piano. The hammer price is an example of how hard it can be to put a value on star power," says Peter Kjelgaard, Head of the Modern Design Department at Bruun Rasmussen.

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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 and daily online auctions. Here you can bid on everything from art, antiques, modern design and jewellery to books, coins, stamps, wine and weaponry.

Contacts

Peter Kjelgaard

Peter Kjelgaard

Head of Department Modern Decorative Art & Design + 45 8818 1191
Camilla Streton

Camilla Streton

Head of Communication + 45 8818 1071

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.

Art and credibility are at the heart of everything we do. The work in the auction house places great demands on our knowledge of art and trends on the market. Our specialists are the most experienced and competent in the industry, and in the Bonhams Network we share knowledge and communicate across national borders with a large number of international specialists. This way, we can provide the best valuation and advice that have become our trademark – and thereby offer the best lots from all categories and achieve the highest hammer prices for the benefit of our customers.

Tradition and innovation go hand in hand. At Bruun Rasmussen, we are one of Europe's most modern and digital auction houses, and it is only natural for us to adapt to changes in the market. Innovation is part of our DNA, while we are also deeply rooted in our history. The foundation of the company rests on our two types of auctions – Online Auction and Live Auction. Every week we put more than a thousand lots up for auction at bruun-rasmussen.dk, and several times a year we present exclusive lots live in our saleroom. We are proud to sell art and design in virtually every category and price range to and for people all over the world who are driven by the same passion as we are.

We want to be a living centre of culture, and since the autumn of 2023, we have been located in Lyngby north of Copenhagen in a new, modern domicile. Here you can not only explore among all the art objects on display and bid on the exciting auctions, you can also meet our specialists, get an estimate on your own items, consign them for auction, listen to exciting lectures and participate in cultural events. We also have branches in Aarhus and Glostrup and regularly go on valuation trips around Denmark and abroad. Our goal is to always be available and for everyone to have a good experience in our auction house.

Welcome to Bruun Rasmussen – we can help you make a good purchase or achieve a great sale!

Bruun Rasmussen – Part of the Bonhams Network
Nørgaardsvej 3
2800 Kongens Lyngby
Denmark
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