Lars-Yngve Johansson’s Collection

Viewing: March 7th–11th at Berzelii Park 1 in Stockholm. Open Mon–Fri: 11 am–6 pm, Sat–Sun: 11 am–5 pm.
Hammer Auction: March 12th from 4 pm. Online auction: March 13th–14th

To the catalogue for the Hammer Auction > Browse the printed catalogue for the Hammer Auction > To the catalogue for the Online Sale >

For almost 150 years, Bukowskis has arranged high-quality auctions for sellers and buyers around the world. One of the first important auctions was the sale of Karl XV’s collection in 1873. In modern times, Bukowskis has organized the auction of the director Ingmar Bergman’s estate as well as the businessman Rolf Schmitz’s collection. Now, the time has come for Lars-Yngve Johansson’s eclectic collection to join the row of these unforgettable sales.

Lars-Yngve Johansson, who passed away this summer at the age of 77, was one of Sweden’s most beloved profiles within antiques. He was trained as a gold and silversmith and worked with antique jewellery. Lars-Yngve was a man of contradictions, which is reflected in his playful yet qualitative collection. He lived in the imposing house Hedvigsro, just outside Stockholm, where he was given space to build his magnificent collection. The house was decorated with classical antiques, silver and porcelain, along with an art collection containing portraits of children from the 17th century as well as 1970s artworks by Marie-Louise Ekman. Lars-Yngve’s beloved Harley Davidson, which has been joining him on his many trips through Europe, got its permanent place at Hedvigsro. He was an adventurous man with a huge interest in motorcycles, which can be seen in his collection where high antiques unexpectedly meet the motorcycle world. The many inventive still lives that flourished in the house tells us about Lars-Yngve’s charming charisma and his strong passion for his objects.

Lars-Yngve was generous with his knowledge and gladly held in big dinner parties where the decoration, along with the food, always were well thought-out. He was very interested in silvered objects from the 18th century, also known as argent haché. These objects often loose their silver surface over time, which is why they have been discarded and are therefore seen as very rare today. Lars-Yngve’s solid knowledge of metals and the craftsmanship behind it formed the basis of his great appreciation of argent haché. Successively he built an extensive collection that today can be seen as a magnificent cultural act since public collection only consists of single items. It is therefore an honour for Bukowskis to present this impressive collection in a separate publication.

Lars-Yngve Johansson’s dynamic collection can be described as conventional without being predictable and it is with pleasure that Bukowskis can present this auction along with a catalogue, which will become a historical document and a source of knowledge for the future.

Contact: