A keen collector of Russian art, especially icons, he spent two lengthy periods in Russia: from 1900-17 and 1922-31. During the second sojourn he lived in the Saltykov Palace in St Petersburg, where parts of the House of Saltykov’s collection were still preserved.
When Zeiner-Henriksen and his wife finally returned to Oslo in 1931 they were allowed to take all the furniture from their Saltykov apartment with them, along with pieces they had purchased from Russians during the 1920s.
Some of these are to be offered by Bruun Rasmussen (in tandem with an online auction featuring material from the collection mounted by Blomqvist in Oslo).
Bruun Rasmussen is also bringing a selection of works from the auction to London for a viewing at the Danish Embassy on June 1-2. They include this 16th century Novgorod School icon of the Saint Michael the archangel, measuring 4ft 2in x 21in (1.3m x 55cm). It has an estimate of Dkr800,000-1m.
