David Collection (Davids Samling)

The David Collection (Davids Samling) is a museum of both fine and applied arts in Copenhagen mostly known for its collection of Islamic art, dating from the 7th to the 19th centuries. The name comes from founder, a Danish Supreme Court barrister named C. L. David (1878-1960), who decided to preserve his collection and open a museum for the public in 1945. Upon his death in 1960, the C. L. David Foundation and Collection, which runs the museum, became the sole heir to his fortune. The museum is housed in what used to be C. L. David’s private home, and has had many expansions over the years. It even went though a period of major refurbishment and was closed to the public from 2006 until 2009. Today, visitors can also find Danish Golden Age and Danish early modern art, as well as 18th century European applied art in the museum.