C. L. David made his first art purchases as a young attorney in the 1910s, when he acquired paintings and sculptures by Danish artists, mostly from the preceding few generations. As David’s wealth increased, however, this part of his collection was soon overshadowed by acquisitions of European furniture and decorative art from the 17th-18th century. It was a field that had great potential for a well-to-do collector, since many important foreign collections were broken up during the depression of the 1920s and 1930s.

David developed a special interest in Danish and European faience and porcelain. In order to put this part of his collection in relief – and to cultivate a field that was unique in Denmark – he soon also acquired pieces from the world of Islam. This laid the foundation for a third important part of the collection.