Ceramics

Like the vibrant diversity of a candy factory, the 200-lot selection in this year's Stockholms Auktionsverk special auction at Blå Hallen offers a feast for the eyes! There's not enough room here to delve into every piece in detail, but to give a sense of the range and quality, a few highlights are worth mentioning.

It's hard not to start with Hans Hedberg's turquoise-gray masterpiece egg in his patented high-fire faience. In the same breath, we must mention his service set, a rarity from his kiln in Biot. Sticking with the most world-renowned ceramicists, Pablo Picasso is represented by the plate "Piqador," and Axel Salto by a warmly yellow, grandiose maize bowl that would grace any collection.

But even though you can list distinguished pieces by major designers like Stig Lindberg, Lisa Larson, Wilhelm Kåge, Gunnar Nylund, and Carl-Harry Stålhane, this is not an auction of only old classics. This is best demonstrated by Annika Rehn's 43 cm high figure "We Can Do It 2," Julia K. Persson's "Have Faith," and Klas-Göran Klaesson's somewhat biblical "Noah's Ark," a monumental piece that would put any animal lover in a good mood.

Some other highlights: Alf Wallander's Art Nouveau owl in the finest green glaze, Åke Holm's "Face" (quite priceless, isn’t it?), and the explosive power of the Kraitz couple's enormous bull in a glaze ranging from eggnog to oxblood. It's hard to get enough as you move between Karl Robert Svensson's salt-glazed male heads and Ingrid Atterberg's purple glaze, and everything else now presented by Stockholms Auktionsverk.

Warmly welcome!

Viewing: Stockholms Auktionsverk, Garnisonsgatan 16. A curated selection of items will be displayed at Blå Hallen in Höganäs from July 26-28.
Online auction: July 28