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Internationell Kvalitetsauktion
10 – 13 juni 2025 »
Lots to be sold at Uppsala Auktionskammare’s Important Sale Week 10 – 13 June 2025
Scottish merchant Colin Campbell (1686-1757) faced financial ruin following the collapse of the South Sea Company’s speculative bubble. In 1723, burdened by debt, he fled Edinburgh for Ostend in the Holy Roman Empire. A few years later, he met Niclas Sahlgren (1701-1776), a merchant with ties to the Dutch East India Company, who invited him to Sweden. In 1730, Campbell relocated to Stockholm, and the following year, he continued west to Gothenburg, the port city of Sweden.
In 1731, alongside Sahlgren and Businessman Henric König (1686-1736), Campbell co-founded the Swedish East India Company (SOIC), which would become one of the most powerful trading cooperations in Swedish history. As only Swedish nationals could serve as directors, Campbell was granted citizenship and was ennobled by the King. He adopted the motto ’Memento Deus dabit vela’ (’Remember that it is God who fills the sails’), which was inscribed on his now-famous armorial porcelain service.
From its inception in 1731 until its dissolution in 1813, the SOIC is estimated to have imported between 30 and 50 million pieces of porcelain. In Sweden, these goods were coveted by royalty, the nobility and the increasingly affluent middle class. A large quantity of blue and white porcelain became widespread among burghers, while more exclusive items were reserved for the elite. It became fashionable for noble families to commission large porcelain dinner services bearing their coat of arms.
In the current sale, we are proud to present a comprehensive selection of fine Asian works of art intended for export. Featured items include a pair of ’Dame au Parasol’ plates after a design by Cornelis Pronk, and a pair of rare strawberry straining dishes finely painted with rocaille shells, an excellent example of Chinese porcelain adapted for Western tastes. The selection also includes items made for the Swedish market, such as a few unusual porcelain pieces commemorating the iconic Battle of Svensksund, from the collection of the distinguished Swedish-Finnish noble family Cronstedt. Additionally, we are delighted to offer for sale an elegant enamelled ’dragon’ vase made for the Vietnamese market. Bearing the mark of Emperor Thiệu Trị, who reigned from 1841 to 1847, this vibrant piece is as a rare survivor from a brief period in Vietnam’s history. ■