Stockholms Auktionsverk

Spring Season 2026 – Records, Exceptional Results and International Bidding

With the final live auctions of the spring now concluded, it is clear that the 2026 season was one of the strongest in many years. International buyers, intense bidding and a number of record-breaking results characterised sales across categories ranging from design and art to books, watches and jewellery.

Among the season’s most notable results was Diego Giacometti’s rare table Berceau, table, modèle aux chats, which sold for SEK 6.3 million, becoming the most expensive 20th-century piece of furniture ever sold at auction in Sweden. Remarkable results were also achieved in the classical category, where an exceptional 18th-century table featuring a tabletop dating from the era of Emperor Constantine the Great sold for nearly SEK 2.7 million, making it the season’s most valuable classical piece of furniture on the Swedish auction market.

Alongside Giacometti’s record-setting result at The Design Sale, a significant Art Nouveau cabinet by Valentin Kielland also attracted considerable attention. The piece, which had previously come close to being lost, sold for SEK 1,937,500 and set a new world auction record for the artist.

The Art Department enjoyed several highlights throughout the spring, not least thanks to the strong interest in John Bauer. Three important watercolours from the artist’s iconic fairytale world – Ut i vida världen (Out into the Wide World), Sjökungens drottning (The Sea King’s Queen) and Prinsessa (Princess) – sparked intense bidding and achieved a combined total of SEK 10.1 million. Particularly noteworthy was Ut i vida världen, one of Bauer’s most beloved and widely reproduced motifs, which sold for SEK 5.1 million. The result confirms the continued strong demand for works by an artist whose imagery continues to captivate collectors generation after generation.

Prints also achieved outstanding results. Andy Warhol’s Queen Elizabeth II sold for SEK 2.5 million, making it the most valuable print sold in Sweden during the season. At the same time, a new world record was set for Lena Cronqvist when her sculpture Flicka med flätor och parasol (Girl with Braids and Parasol) sold for nearly SEK 1.9 million – the highest price ever achieved for an individual sculpture by the artist.

Among the spring’s most historic sales was The Vega Collection, where Louis Palander’s diary sold for SEK 4,437,500. The auction achieved a total result of more than SEK 25 million – over 500 per cent above the estimate – and all 304 lots were sold, resulting in a so-called White Glove auction.

A further record was set in the Books, Maps and Manuscripts category when Carl Linnaeus’s letter to Christian Gottlieb Ludwig, dated 1737, sold for SEK 1,875,000 – the highest price ever achieved for a Swedish letter at auction in Sweden. The sale also became the most successful book auction in the 350-year history of Stockholms Auktionsverk.

At The Fine Watches Sale, a Patek Philippe Grand Complications Perpetual Calendar sold for SEK 3,250,000, becoming the most expensive Patek Philippe watch ever sold at auction in Sweden. The jewellery market also demonstrated continued strength as The Fine Jewellery Sale made its debut as a live auction dedicated entirely to jewellery and gemstones. The sale became one of the most successful jewellery auctions in the history of Stockholms Auktionsverk and confirmed the strong demand for high-quality jewels.