PARIS.- On 20 May 2015 at 18.00, Artcurial will present for the first time, and independent of the traditional Design sale, a sale dedicated exclusively to historical Scandinavian Design. Some 130 hand-picked items, selected with the assistance of Aldric Speer, the collector and now consultant for the Design Department run by Emmanuel Bérard, will be offered for sale. This inaugural auction will provide an opportunity to celebrate the very best designers of the Danish School, such as Finn Juhl who will be feature strongly, as well as to make new discoveries of, for example, « Swedish Grace » furniture, the 1930s Art-DecoArt Nouveau movement in Sweden.

«Artcurial has been offering items of Scandinavian Design in sales for several years. With the introduction of a series of dedicated sales, we would like to reflect the development of this market and promote the distinctive characteristics of Scandinavian furniture. Therefore I have selected some Nordic pieces (Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway) that are well known and others that merit being discovered or rediscovered. We are passionately committed to highlighting the major trends in Scandinavian Design, which we have done by bringing together rare and exceptional items, such as a Chieftain chair by Finn Juhl, » explained Aldric Speer, consultant for Scandinavian Design at Artcurial.

THE DANISH SCHOOL FEATURING A MASTERPIECE BY FINN JUHL
The Danish School is pivotal and remains at the forefront of Scandinavian Design. The expertise and materials used by Scandinavian designers illustrate the craftsman’s affinity with the modernist functionality of Nordic furniture. Finn Juhl holds a special place in this school and Artcurial has assembled a coherent collection of some of his most iconic and rare creations.

Finn Juhl, who favoured the use of organic shapes, combined functionality with aesthetic appeal, and his work features some of the most iconic and highly sought-after. Artcurial will offer 5 pieces by the designer, including an extremely rare version of the 1949 Chieftain armchair, model FJ 49, in solid teak and upholstered in the original cognac leather (estimate 150 000 – 250 000 € / 160 000 – 270 000 $). Inspired by art and anthropology and designed in a single day, this chair exploits the contrast between a rigid architectural structure and the more organic elements of the seat.

Another highlight will be a rare oval dining table, Judas, from 1960 (estimate : 25 000 – 35 000 € / 27 000 - 38 000 $).

Collectors will discover other classic pieces of Scandinavian design, such as the « EGG » armchair, model 3317, and a black leather Ottoman by Arne Jacobson (estimate : 8 000 – 10 000 € / 8 700 - 10 900 $) and a large pendant lamp by Alvar Alto, known as Beehive, model A332 (estimate : 8 000 – 10 000 € / 8 700 - 10 900 $). Also of note is a magnificent set of 12 chairs, model « PK9 », designed by Poul Kjærholm, the ergonomic shape of the chair accurately reflecting its name Tulip Chair. These chairs are complemented by the « PK54 » steel dining table (estimate : 10 000 – 15 000 € / 10 900- 16 300 $), created by the designer in 1963 to accompany the PK9 chair.

Other designers, who have come to the fore more recently, will also star in the sale, including Philip Arctander with a rare highbacked variation of his « Clam » armchair in sheepskin (estimate 8 000 – 10 000 € / 8 700 – 10 900 $) and the walnut day bed by Ib Kofod-Larsen (estimate 8 000 – 10 000 € / 8 000 – 10 900 $).

Finally, the sale will feature a rare armchair, The Sleigh Chair, model 160, and an Ottoman by Børge Mogensen (estimate 40 000 – 60 000 € / 43 500 – 65 000 $), presented during the Kobestoevnet exhibition in Fredericia, Denmark, in 1953.

AXEL EJNAR HJORTH AND THE SWEDISH GRACE MOVEMENT
Aldric Speer has chosen to highlight a less well known trend in Scandinavian Design : Swedish Grace. This 1930s movement was inspired by the neoclassical ethos, developing a regional variation of the European Art Nouveau/Art Deco movement, as seen in the stunning Zodiac table in wood with marquetry designs based on the signs of the zodiac, by Otto Schulz (estimate 20 000 – 30 000 € / 22 000 – 32 500 $).

We also find here the work of Axel Einar Hjorth, the Swedish architect and designer who experimented with the contrast between public and private interiors. He played an active part in this movement, advocating a return to the styles of antiquity. The designs for his suites of furniture displayed an uncompromising restraint, typical of the Swedish Grace movement. Known for his aesthetic radicalism, this precursor of Scandinavian design and chief architect of the Nordiska Kompagniet notably designed several collections destined for holiday residences in the Stockholm archipelago. These very popular resorts lent their names to his furniture, for example the table known as « UTÖ » (estimate 20 000 – 30 000 € / 22 000 – 32 500 $) and the « UTÖ » pair of stools (estimate 15 000 – 20 000 € / 16 000 - 22 000 $), typical of his work in pine.

The folk tradition of Scandinavia is also represented in the sale with a large selection of decorative pieces. Amongst these are the woven wool rugs by Märta Maas-Fjetterström, one of the leading Swedish textile artists of the 20th century. There are two original examples of her rugs on offer : the Green Meadow from 1928 (estimate 12 000 – 15 000 € / 13 000 - 16 000 $) and Blue Moor from 1931(estimate 12 000 – 15 000 € / 13 000 - 16 000 $).