Berndt Friberg

The Collection of Wivica Ankarcrona Borell.

Bukowskis has been entrusted to sell part of the vast collections of Art and Antiques after Wivica Akarcrona Borell (1935-2019).

The foundation of the collection was laid by Rear Admiral/Flag officer Sten Ankarcrona (1861-1936). Ankarcrona first got a taste for the Asian Art while following his fathers’s footsteps serving as ‘enseigne de vaisseau’ for the French navy “la Royale” during the years 1885-1889, when his Fregatt sailed in the area. Ankarcrona continued to ad on to the collection, later in life when he was sent on a special mission to Japan in 1923. He brought back vast collections of lacquer, bronzes, textiles, ceramics.

In 1911 the family moved to the mansion like duplex next to Sturegatan in Stockholm. The elegant home and their summer house at Brevik by Erstaviken where Ankarcrona created a Japanese garden (1923-27) and even set up a complete Japanese building was documented in the the magazine 'Svenska Hem i ord och bild' in 1928, which provide us with a fascinating window into this golden age of European collecting. The world renowned collection received many prestigious visitors throughout the years, the guest book contains signature of both the Swedish king Gustav VI Adolf as well as the Japanese crown prince, later Emperor Akihito.

Stens son Sten S:son Ankarcrona (1904-1981, continued the tradition of collecting, amongst other things Swedish 18th Century furniture and art, pieces that worked well with family heirlooms from the Bergenstråhle, Bohnstedt, Cassel, Mörner and Lybecker families.

Wivica was married to Ulf Borell, appointed physician to the Swedish royal family. She was a loyal visitor to the auctions and museums around the world. Her friends and family also know her as an opera habitué who never missed a new set. Her apartment was located at the top floor of the house by Sturegatan, in the elegant apartment new additions and finds from the auction scene mixed with old family heirlooms, many that can be seen in the magazine article of 1928.

Berndt Friberg was a Swedish ceramicist and turner. In 1934, he began working at the Gustavsberg porcelain factory for the artistic director Wilhelm Kåge. From 1937, Friberg also worked for Stig Lindberg. Friberg debuted in 1941 as an independent ceramicist when he was exhibited in Gustavsberg's shop on Birger Jarlsgatan in Stockholm together with Calle Blomqvist and Stig Lindberg.

Many exhibitions followed over the years, and his first solo exhibition, presented at NK in Stockholm in 1954, became very popular.

Friberg was not only a ceramic designer, but he also knew how to turn and glaze ceramics. The result was pieces of various sizes, from small miniatures, where the smallest were no higher than a couple of centimeters, to large floor vases. The forms were classical, inspired by the Song Dynasty's Chinese stoneware (960-1279).

During 1957-58, Friberg began working with different patterns in the glaze. The most sought-after items by Friberg are large vases with matte 'rabbit's fur' glazes.