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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
Chef and Restaurant Manager Erik Berlin (1930–2012) began his journey as a collector in the 1940s. From an early age, he showed a deep fascination for foreign cultures. At just fourteen, he began working in the kitchen on the ships of the prestigious Svenska Amerika Linien (Swedish American Line), which led to his first long-distance journey to the United States in 1944. His career later took him to The Gambia and the Congo River in the 1950s, travels that sparked a lasting interest in African art.
During the same decade, he worked at the renowned restaurant Cattelin in Stockholm’s Old Town, where he developed a close friendship with manager Kjell Blekenberg, who would become a cherished family friend. Around 1960, the Berlin family relocated to Malmö in southern Sweden, purchasing a plot of land in 1962, where they built a house. Erik remained there for the rest of his life, creating a home filled with art and fascinating antiquities from across the globe.
From the late 1960s, he managed Café Ratten at Sjöfartshotellet (The Seafarer Hotel) in Malmö. His passion for Far Eastern antiquities led him on numerous private journeys to India, Nepal, Kashmir, Thailand, and China. These trips, along with visits to antique fairs and dealers throughout the Nordic region, enabled him to amass an impressive collection of Chinese and Himalayan Buddhist art.
His keen eye for detail and refined taste are evident in the remarkable collection now being offered at auction. Among the highlights is a powerful Tibetan or Nepalese sculpture of Mahachakra Vajrapani in union with his consort Mamaki, dating to the 14th or 15th century. Equally striking is a fine Tibetan thangka of the Dharma King Konchog Bang, notable for both its rarity and craftsmanship. Another significant piece is a beautifully composed image of Vasudhara, the radiant goddess of wealth and abundance, depicted as a graceful young woman adorned in elaborate regalia, underscoring her role as the Bearer of Treasure. ■