Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present Vintage Watches: One Man’s Collection on Sunday, March 24, 2024. The sale features over 140 timepieces from a private collection in Northern California – mostly men’s wristwatches, plus several pocket watches, small clocks, and one ladies’ watch. Almost all date from the mid-20th century, from the 1940s to the 1970s. Most are American brands, plus several from Europe. The 25+ manufacturers include Bulova, Hamilton, Longines, Lord Elgin, Omega, Dunhill, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Louvic, Jacques Lemans, and Concord. Completing the sale are several Rolex boxes for watches and/or jewelry.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present The Estate of Edward S. Stephenson on Saturday, March 9, 2024. Featuring over 200 lots, the sale features a diverse and eclectic collection featuring two major themes: arms and armor, and Asian decorative arts, primarily from Japan. The latter are mostly from Mr. Stephenson’s time in Japan with the military at the end of World War II, before he became an award-winning Hollywood production designer. Highlights include a Franz Von Stuck nautilus cup and the coronation costume of Baron Sawada at Emperor Hirohito's coronation in Kyoto in 1928.

The part of the auction that features arms & armor includes a diverse range of items, mostly from England, continental Europe, and Japan: sets of armor, hall shields, chargers, medallions, military portrait plaques, helmets, tsuba, and more. Armaments from various countries and centuries include several swords and bayonets; a saber, cutlass, and dagger; plus a selection of Japanese tantō.

From Japan are an eclectic array of decorative arts, small furniture, works of art, household items, and more: netsuke, statues, ewers, bowls, vases, jars, Satsuma and Imari ware, hibachi, blue and white porcelain, miniature zushi, Bunraku puppet heads, early 20th-century kimonos, boxes, carved figures, a 19th-century tama sculpture, gongs, a scroll painting, groups of wooden boxes, and much more. Among the lacquerware items are picnic and other boxes, sets, games, a pear box, and miniatures. Noh items include an assortment of masks and a doll set in a fitted chest. Among the small furniture items are tansu chests, armor chests, and collectors cabinets. Works on paper include calligraphy documents, woodblock books, and temple stamp books.

From China are censers, ceramic figures, famille verte dishes, a brush pot, vases, covered jars, a marble head of Guanyin, a jade figure of fu dogs, and a bronze figure of Manjusri. From elsewhere in Asia are ceramics, textiles, mystical silk batik panels, and a collection of seals. Rounding out the sale are bronze figures and sculptures, candlesticks, platters, a 19th-century goblet, Orlando Furioso from 1967 in three volumes, and more.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present Retablos: The Art of Devotion on Saturday, February 24, 2024. Offering over 230 lots from a private collection in Northern California, the sale features distinctive works from Mexico and South America, including Peru and Bolivia. Almost all works are from the 19th and/or 20th centuries; most are painted in oil on tin or copper; some are framed, most are not. There is also an extensive array of relicario medallions, most from South America, including Bolivia. Some other religious or devotional items round out the sale, including crucifixes, santos, wood carvings, painted altars, miniature monstrances, and more.

Retablos are a widespread folk art form from the colonial Spanish or Mexican culture that gained popularity in the 19th and 20th centuries. Small and colorful, these devotional paintings illustrate holy images or miraculous events from traditional art of the Catholic church, depicting Jesus, the Virgin Mary, or one of the church’s many saints. Usually created by untrained artists and showcased privately in homes to enable personal devotion or to give thanks, retablos often became valued family heirlooms.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present A Fine Mélange on Saturday, February 3, 2024. Offering over 200 lots, the sale features an eclectic array of items, including artworks, decorative arts, jewelry, furniture, Asian items, and more.

Among the artworks are paintings, watercolors, lithographs, and other works on paper, mostly from the 19th-20th centuries; noted artists include Roland Petersen, Joseph Antoine Bouvard, Emory Ladanyi, Samuel Peter Rolt Triscott, Alexandra Nechita, Alfred Schroff, and David Gilhooly. Several sculptures on offer are by Dan Corbin, Grant Speed, and Rollin Karg. Jewelry offerings feature rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets of gold or silver, most adorned with precious or semi-precious stones. The diverse selection of furniture includes chairs, tables, chests, cupboards, desks and more in styles such as Queen Anne, Regency, Federal, and American, and Chippendale. Among the decorative arts are glass items, tole table articles, American baskets, snuff boxes, and more; highlights in this category include a 19th-century carousel horse, tall torchières, angel candelabra, and a Louis C. Tiffany vase. Rounding out the sale are sterling silver flatware and several pens.

There is also a large selection of items from Asia, including artworks; and silk panels, collars, and table runners. From China are paintings, vases, beakers, censers, lotus shoes and slippers, decorative objects, export tea items, immortal figures, snuff bottles, and horseshoe and high-back chairs. Several woodblock prints come from Japan; and a nat figure of Min Lay comes from Burma.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present Estate Jewelry & Gold Coins on Sunday, December 17, 2023, at 10:30 am PST. Featuring over 105 lots from a few estates, these items are ideal for holiday jewelry gift-giving to others (or to treat oneself!) or perhaps for long-term investment, in the case of gold coins.

Jewelry offerings include necklaces, rings, bracelets, pendants, brooches, and earrings. Most are 14k, 18k or white gold, blackened silver, or platinum; most are set with gemstones such as diamond, emerald, ruby, sapphire, amethyst, pearl, tourmaline, garnet, opal, turquoise, moonstone, and/or lapis lazuli. Some pieces are antique or vintage. Among the other jewelry items are micro-mosaic brooch-pendants; lava cameos and earrings; unstrung chrysoprase beads; unmounted gemstones; several suites; and groupings of antique, vintage or costume jewelry. For men are several pairs of gold cufflinks, watch fob chains, and an antique cigar cutter fob. Jewelry highlights include a 5.3 carat diamond and platinum ring, a gold-coin charm bracelet, and an emerald and diamond ring,

The diverse array of gold coins – many from the 19th or early 20th century – includes items from the U.S., France, Mexico, and South Africa. Among the highlights are a U.S. 1904 Gold Double Eagle Liberty Head $20 coin; three South Africa Krugerrands; a Mexico 50 peso gold coin, Winged Victory/Eagle Dated 1821-1947. There are also several gold or silver ingots, one lot of ancient bronze coins, and a 1934 Federal Reserve $1,000 note. Completing the sale are a Lalique ornament and three bags, from Cartier, Versace, and Coach.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present The Armond Conti Collection of Model Trains, Part 4, on Sunday, December 3, 2023, at 10:30 am PST. Offering over 235 lots from the estate of a Northern Californian who collected trains for over 75 years, the auction features mostly post-war and modern-era train offerings – some new old stock, some unused, and many in their original boxes. These include locomotives, tenders, cabooses, numerous sets and groupings; a diverse array of train cars, including freight, box, reefers, stock, hoppers, passenger, sleeper, diner, gang, mail, beer, pullman, sleeper, and flat cars; water tenders; TTOS, TCA and LCCA club cars; and more. There are also accessories and train and controller parts on offer. Many lots are Lionel model trains; other manufacturers in the sale are K-Line, MTH, Atlas, Williams, 3rd Rail, Rail King, Pecos River, Crown Model, and Peterson Supply. Almost all trains are O gauge, with several Lionel Classics in standard gauge

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present the Collection of the Reverend Charles Hartwell Family on Saturday, November 18, 2023. Offering 150 lots, the sale features a wide array of items, mostly from 19th-century China, including artworks, furniture, decorative arts, prayer beads, jewelry, books, clothing, textiles, family memorabilia, and more. The sale’s items come from the family of Reverend Charles Hartwell, Congregational missionaries and philanthropists in Foochow (Fuzhou), China from the 1850s-1930s. The family members’ items in this auction include Rev. Charles Hartwell (1825-1905) and Lucy Estabrook Stearns Hartwell (1827-1883); their children Charles Stearns Hartwell (1855-1931), Emily Susan Hartwell (1859-1951), and Carrie Amelia Hartwell Tupper (1864-1959).

Furniture items in the sale include armchairs and dining chairs, a curio shelf, cupboard panels, and carved mirrors. Among the artworks are Chinese paintings on paper, ancestor portraits, scroll and miniature pith paintings; several Japanese woodblock prints; and works by Emily Susan Hartwell and Neil Meitzler. From Japan are several woodblock prints, an art pottery vase, and Imari items.

Many decorative arts are on offer, such as cloisonné, glazed, porcelain, celadon and bronze vases; bronze vessels, beakers, censers, and libation cups; snuff bottles; decorative and carved stone objects; polychrome and terracotta figures; porcelain bowls and ginger jars; boxes of burl root, lacquer and porcelain; gilt lacquered temple figures; a silk fan; metal tea caddies; several lamps; and blue and white dishes.

There is also an array of Chinese clothing and textiles: embroidery of gold thread dragon, silk collars and panels; a table runner; a fan; a man’s court robe, a silk short coat; and more. Of note are a selection of high-heeled and lotus shoes, including a booklet on Chinese foot binding made by a Hartwell family member. Lotus shoes were worn by women in China who had bound feet, a very painful tradition that lasted nearly a thousand years, ending only around the 1950s.

Books and publications include ones on Chinese art, textiles, and ceramics; Japanese sculpture; Asian art and rugs; and a signed copy of Baghdad by the Bay by Herb Caen. There are several lots of prayer beads and jewelry of jade, bone, hardstone, silver and/or metal. Family memorabilia includes a Charles Hartwell family archive, a Chinese stamp collection, and 19th-century photographs of China and England.

Auction highlights include a Chinese lavender-blue ovoid vase, a 19th-century ancestral tablet, and a pair of bowls with eight horses of Wang Mu. Several items from other collectors round out the sale.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present Fine Art & Works on Paper on Saturday, November 4, 2023. Featuring over 85 lots from several collectors and estates, the sale offers diverse media -- engraving, watercolor, gouache, lithograph, pastel, woodblock, woodcut, pencil, drypoint, and more -- by American and European artists from the 16th through the 21st centuries. A large portion of the auction is devoted to the four-color lithographs of Albert Genick (1836-1906) from his acclaimed work on Greek pottery, Griechische Keramik, printed by Ernst Wasmuth in Berlin in 1883. Artists showcased in the sale from the late 1800s to present day include Millard Sheets, Bruce Conner, Russell Chatham, Winthrop Turney, Armin Hansen, Stephanie Sanchez, August LeRoux, Julien Weir, and Leonard Foujita.

A number of works date from the 16th-19th centuries, with offerings from Rembrandt Van Rijn, Samuel Dirksz, and architectural drawings of Paris and London. There is also a wide array of engravings from those times – by Giovanni Piranesi, Antoine Melling, William Williams, Paolo Fidanza, Christoph Weigel, Emanuel Sweert, and Sébastian Leclerc, plus a group of classical architecture illustration plates by Andrea Palladio and Ottavio Bertotti Scamozzi. Completing the auction are maps of French Polynesia, French political pamphlets, Napolean memorabilia, a large collection of Netherlands royal family postcards/ephemera, several oil paintings, and a small sculpture by Chaim Gross.

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Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present Fine Art, Asian Art, and Jewelry on Saturday, June 22, 2023. Offering over 315 antique, vintage, and contemporary lots, the online auction features an eclectic array of artworks, decorative arts, jewelry, coins, and more from various collectors and estates. Paintings, lithographs, and prints come from diverse artists, including Gustave Baumann, Clayton Sumner Price, Olaf Carl Seltzer, Ira Yeager, Paul Lauritz, Pablo Picasso, George Rowlett, Serge Poliakoff, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Paul Rene Gauguin, Emory Ladanyi, Graciela Rodo Boulanger, John Coughlin, Barbara Johnson, and others. Highlights among the artworks are signed photographs by Ansel Adams. Several sculptures are offered, including by Dino Rosin and Grant Speed.

From Asia are diverse offerings: numerous bronze deities from Thailand, India, Tibet, or Burma, including Buddha, Ganesh, Krishna, Kali, and Hanuman figures; a keris dagger; Persian illuminated leaves; a Tibetan painting; and carved nephrite pendants. From Japan are cloisonne, lacquer, and mixed metal boxes; a hanging scroll painting; a tiger netsuke; and porcelain dish. From China are hanging wall panels and paintings; cocoon-shaped jars; an 18th-century export platter; vase lamps; metal stirrups; a celadon fishbowl, stone chops; and hardwood armchairs.

There is an extensive selection of decorative arts: a 19th-century carousel horse; a singing bird automaton, music box and clock; a one-winged plaster angel; Swedish Argenta vases; 18th-century torchieres; gilt-bronze and gilt brass candelabra; glass items or collections from Lalique, Swarovski, and Baccarat; decorative eggs; a tea caddy; and more. Religious offerings include Gothic-style reliquaries, an altar cross, and African Orthodox processional cross, a silver and gilt metal chalice, a carved figure of Christ, a Mexican retablo, and Greek icons.

There is also a wide selection of jewelry for women, including necklaces, pendants, bracelets, rings, earrings, pins, and various groupings – many in gold or silver and adorned with precious or semi-precious stones. One jewelry lot features unmounted diamonds; another has unmounted stones, beads, and crystals. For men are wrist- or pocket-watches, fob chains, and cufflinks. Some lots of Old Pawn Southwest jewelry are also available, such as concho belts, necklaces, and belt buckles.

Silver lots, mostly in sterling, include flatware, serving ware, platters and chargers, letter openers, two pheasant figures, and other objects. The auction also includes diverse coins: Morgan, Peace, and Liberty silver dollars; collections of Mercury dimes, buffalo nickels, and Lincoln pennies; and several antique or international coins. Completing the sale are a Czech violin; a selection of art books, many on Picasso; automotive hood ornaments; and pens from Mont Blanc and Schaeffer.

Stephen Turner and Turner Auctions + Appraisals is proud to present & Daughters Auctions, a company launched in 2023 by his daughters Cassandra Turner and Elysia Turner-Lechelt, along with Jason Krell. With that in mind, Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to host & Daughters’ premiere online auction, Movers & Shakers, on Saturday, June 24. The sale features over 90 lots of luxury fashion, jewelry and accessories from celebrated designers, including Chanel, Gucci, Van Cleef & Arpels, Hermès, and others; in addition to rare feminist books and works by female artists.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is very pleased to present Ghosts, Demons and Monsters, the Collection of Japanese Prints from the Estate of Edward S. Stephenson on Saturday, May 20, 2023. With a focus on the supernatural, this online auction features over 110 Japanese woodblock prints collected in post-war Japan by an award-winning Hollywood production designer. Never exhibited before, these works are by famed 19th- and early-20th-century woodblock artists, including Yoshitoshi, Kuniyoshi, Yoshitsuya, Kunisada, Kunichika, Yoshiku, and others. Two 19th-century Japanese watercolors complete the sale.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is very pleased to present The Pebble Beach Estate of Norman Lausten on Saturday, April 22, 2023. Reflecting Mr. Lausten’s passion for collecting that spanned more than seven decades, this online auction features an eclectic array of over 330 lots in diverse categories, reflecting the wide range of items in the estate. Among the antique, vintage and/or contemporary items are books, directories and other printed material; jewelry, clothing, shoes, and accessories for women and men; objects related to automobiles and bicycles; knives; silver certificates; artworks; Asian collectibles; musical instruments; war items; and a variety of mechanical devices such as cameras, radios, steam engines, telescopes, and more. Some lots from other collections or estates round out the sale.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is very pleased to present The Collection of Bohemian Artist Xavier Martinez and His Family on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 10:30 am PST. Featuring over 200 lots, the auction spans about 110 years and five generations related to famed Northern California artist Xavier Martinez (1869-1943). Items include artworks created by and gifted to Martinez, art produced by members of subsequent generations, and a wide range of other family possessions saved through the years such as photos, correspondence, books, ephemera, and more. Never seen before by the public, this historical collection is sourced from the family’s multi-generational homes in Northern California – first in Piedmont and Carmel, then in Pebble Beach. Several pairs of Chinese vases from other collectors round out the sale.

Besides an array of artworks by Martinez, there are paintings, drawings, sketches, etchings, works on paper, photographs, and sculpture by Micaela Martinez DuCasse, Ralph DuCasse, Chiura Obata, Josephine Wood Colby, Albert Thomas DeRome, Leo Lentelli, Arnold Genthe, Benjamen Chin, Gardiner Hale, Evelyn Otheto Stoddard Weston, Eugene Delacroix, Del F. Lederle, and others. Other lots on paper include silhouettes, photos of Martinez, caricatures of his bohemian circle of friends, and his 1915 Gold Medal Panama-Pacific International Award. Among the Bohemian Club memorabilia are plays, photos, publications, and ephemera. There are numerous groupings of letters, albums, papers, and/or ephemera – including Martinez, both his wife Elsie and daughter Michaela, Ralph DuCasse, Harriet Dean, his father-in-law Herman Whitaker, Franklin Roosevelt, photographer Edward Weston, artist Magda Pach, and others. Groupings of publications feature art exhibit catalogs and the California College of Arts and Crafts. Also offered are a diverse selection of books from the family library, including México y Sus Alrededores, a signed edition by Jack London dedicated to Martinez with photograph, Inedited Works of Bakst, and several publications on Carmel.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present The Armond Conti Collection of Model Trains, Part 2, on Sunday, January 29, 2023, at 10:30 am PST. Featuring 200 lots from the estate of a Northern Californian who collected trains for over 75 years, the sale presents a variety of fine, distinctive, and desirable pre-war and post-war train offerings – some new old stock, some unused, and many in their original boxes. These include locomotives, tenders and cabooses; numerous sets and groupings; and a wide selection of train cars, including flat, passenger and baggage (Madison, Baby Madison and Heavyweight among them), fire, milk, dump, refrigerator, box, freight, coach, vat, and missile and helicopter cars. There are many accessories on offer: besides switches, transformers and Gargraves track, there are a loaders for logs and oil drums, gatemen, platforms, coal elevator, nuclear reactor, burro crane, automobiles, billboards and street lights, and more. Many lots are Lionel model trains; other manufacturers in the sale are MTH, 3rd Rail, K-Line, Atlas, Williams, KMT, Kusan, LGB, and REA/Polk. Most are O gauge.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present Fine Art, Jewelry & Collectibles on Saturday, December 17, 2022. The online auction features over 310 diverse lots, just in time for holiday gift-giving or enjoying oneself. Fine art includes paintings, engravings, and lithographs by many noted artists, including Marc Chagall, Raoul Dufy, Leroy Neiman, Jane Peterson, Loran Speck, Carol Jablonsky, Robert Lyn Nelson, Peter Max, Hoi Lebadang, Irving Amen, and John West.

Jewelry includes necklaces, pendants, earrings, bracelets, brooches, rings and wedding bands. Most feature gold, platinum, or silver and are accented by precious or semi-precious stones such as diamonds, rubies, emeralds, blue topaz, sapphires, cultured or seed pearls, jade, amethyst, garnets, lapis lazuli, opal, coral, turquoise or others. There are women’s and men’s watches, including a lapel watch and pocket watches. Numerous groupings of vintage, antique, or costume jewelry are also available. Among the highlights for women are the Cartier Gold Love Bangle, an array of Hermès scarves, and several designer handbags.

There are also a wide range of collectibles and decorative arts: Tiffany and Cross pens; framed feather leis from Boris Huang; vintage Champagne, water and beer bottles; Austrian intaglio glass place-card holders, and much more. Works from Asia include several Buddhas, an Indian diety, and a Byzantine-style carved wood panel. From China are carved soapstone chops, embroidered silk panels, jade items, and a lacquered game box. From Japan are tsubas, a netsuke, and woodblock prints. Tableware and serving ware include sterling silver flatware, candlesticks, and a salver; and glass and porcelain decanters, including one from Daum. Last but not least are several guitars and banjos, including a 1940s Gibson L-7 archtop acoustic guitar, a 1960s Martin & Co. 12-string acoustic guitar, and Staind electric guitars. Several Pearl Jam signed album covers complete the sale.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present Model Trains & More, on Saturday, November 12, 2022, at 10:30 am PST. Featuring over 250 diverse lots from various collectors and estates, this timed auction presents pre-, post-World War II, and modern trains in an array of gauges: O, S, HO, OO, and G/No.1. Having wide appeal for a variety of train enthusiasts, manufacturers represented in the sale include Lionel, American Flyer, Fleischmann, Märklin, Edobaud, Plasticville, and New Bright. Lots on offer include locomotives, tenders, switchers, and cabooses – plus passenger, freight, box, dump, and stock cars; many are in their original packaging. There are also several Lionel train sets, a New Bright Christmas train, and a wide range of model train accessories: track, turntables, transformers, figures, animals, and buildings. In addition, the sale includes train books, catalogs, and other publications. Completing the sale are several erector and construction sets, several toys, and plastic and die-cast toy vehicles from the 1950s. Auction highlights include American Flyer O Gauge five-unit cast aluminum Zephyr; an American Flyer set No. 5001T "The Farm Set;” an American Flyer S Gauge 360/364, whistle button, 650, 644, 631, in original boxes; and a yellow All American Toy Company Timber Toter Jr. truck.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present the auction of The Jim Haas Native American Art Library and a Collection of Southwest Jewelry on Saturday, October 8, 2022, at 10:30 am PDT. The Haas library section of the sale features over 100 lots consisting of more than 900 books, catalogs, and other publications on various Native American and Canadian First Peoples art styles and artifacts from the personal collection of Jim Haas; this noted, long-time specialist in Native American and Ethnographic Arts retired several years ago as Director from Bonhams after 32 years with the company and its predecessor. In addition, over 30 lots of Southwestern bracelets, rings, and necklaces are offered from various collectors and estates. Many of these are “Old Pawn” pieces, that is, old Indian jewelry that was traded for credit or goods, often Navajo made. Rounding out the sale are several publications on other ethnic arts, including Pre-Columbian, Mexican, and tribal.

Reflecting Jim Haas’s 30+ years as a professional appraiser and expert in the arts, his printed collection is a working library of art reference books and auction catalogs. With a focus on the Native American books used in his profession, his collection is a sizeable reference library in many areas that would be difficult to put together today.

Haas’s library features collectible volumes that are sources of knowledge or beauty; many are older, hard to find, out of print, or specialty books from the 1980s and 1990s or earlier. Virtually every style of North American Indian arts is represented – from Western Canada to Florida, including Eskimo, Northwest Coast, California, Plateau, Great Basin, Southwest, Plains, Great Lakes, Eastern Woodlands, and Southeast. Although some books focus on contemporary works, most volumes are general compendia on antique art and artifacts, showcasing good background information, the evolution of the art form, and many visuals. Some books are very specialized, such as those on tomahawks or parfleche, i.e., rawhide bags or containers usually hung in pairs from saddles.

Jim Haas began his long and acclaimed career in the arts through serendipity and chutzpah. A graduate of University of Wisconsin-Madison with a master’s degree in Communication Arts and a focus on media production, he came to San Francisco in 1984 and was unable to find a job in that field. Out and about one day, he walked by the Butterfield & Butterfield auction house and saw an Oriental rug auction was underway. He went in, was fascinated, and asked to see Bernard Osher, Butterfield’s owner. Mr. Osher, perhaps thinking he was a member of the prominent San Francisco Haas family (he’s not), granted him an audience. Jim pitched himself with enthusiasm and zeal, resulting in a job first as a preview worker, then at the front desk. Although Jim Haas’s career path was different than he intended, it was not without personal interest: he recalls many weekends as a teenager getting up early to go treasure hunting at a Milwaukee flea market while his boyhood friends slept off the previous night’s escapades.

At Butterfields, his good luck continued when the Ethnographic Department head quit and Jim assumed the position, becoming a specialist and respected expert through the years. During his 32 years at Butterfields, later acquired by Bonhams, Jim spent 20 years as Director of the Ethnographic Art Department, which included Native American, African, Oceanic, Southeast Asian tribal and pre-Columbian art. During the first five years, he also worked simultaneously as Director of the Oriental Rug Department, focused on tribal and rural weaving traditions of village and nomadic people of the east. For his last decade at Bonhams, Jim focused strictly on Native American art. Over the length of his career, he estimates he oversaw about 75 sales that generated some $65-$70 million for the company.

Now, after leaving his long career at Butterfields/Bonhams about five years ago, Jim has happily retired; he and his wife Claudia travel more, and spend half of their time in San Francisco and half in Tequisquiapan, Mexico. Although he still performs appraisals and occasional consultations, he now finds time to practice his blues harmonica; he returned recently from Racine, Wisconsin, where a reunion with his high school band included a gig at a local bar, which invited them back “anytime” since they packed the place. Now, as he seeks to make more space in his life, Jim has decided to downsize many of the items he’s accumulated over decades, saying “If they’re not appreciated on a daily basis, why own them?” Collectors, scholars, and researchers are sure to benefit from this decision.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present The Art of Eleen Auvil (1927-1922), a noted California artist, on September 17, 2022, at 10:30 am PDT. Featuring over 120 lots from the artist’s estate, the auction includes a diverse selection of paintings, sculpture, works on paper, copper and bronze wall art, and more. Auction proceeds go to the Spirals Benefit Store in Pacific Grove, California, serving local seniors thru the Alliance on Aging.

Eleen Auvil’s career as an artist and teacher spanned nearly six decades. During her long and prolific career, she trained and taught widely, received numerous awards, exhibited across the United States, and is represented in private and museum collections. She attended Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, earning degrees in textiles and sculpture.

Ms. Auvil later taught there, as well as the Chicago Art Institute, Wayne State University, and Flint Institute of Art.

After a successful career in textiles designing and hand weaving, her focus shifted to sculpture, which she continued for over 30 years – first three-dimensional works, then wall pieces. Ms. Auvil is also well-known for her abstract monotype prints. Her works incorporated an array of subjects, techniques, and materials, including in copper, bronze, mixed media, and handmade paper. She was past President of the Board of Directors of the Carmel Art Association, founded in 1927, dedicated to presenting the finest work for sale by artists living on the Northern California’s Monterey Peninsula. Ms. Auvil held a rare dual Artist Member status in the organization, having juried into the Carmel Art Association for both two- and three-dimensional works.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present Books & Ephemera, including Historical Documents from the Chapman Family of Connecticut, on August 20, 2022, at 10:30 am PDT. Featuring over 220 lots from the 17th to the 20th centuries, the auction includes antique and vintage books on many subjects and in diverse languages. There is also a wide selection of works on paper – engravings, vintage photographs; maps; war posters, lithographs, and several artworks. Historical documents from the Chapman family are part of a collection related to Edward Mortimer Chapman (1862-1952), a Connecticut pastor, academic, author, and descendant of one of Saybrook’s first settlers.

Books from the 17th-19th centuries are written in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Latin. There are a wide range of topics: art, history, literature, plays, poems, illustrations, European cities and travel, Russia, opinions, and more. Among the multi-volume groupings are those by Voltaire, Charles Dickens, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott, Charles Darwin, and J. F. Ducis. From the 20th century are books on Americana, architecture, posters, children’s and youths’ books, fables, English churches, and more. Notable fiction authors include Tom Wolfe, William Faulkner, and Ayn Rand.

Works on paper include “Dennis the Menace” original art; antique engravings; maps of arrondissements in Paris, and U.S. railroads and townships; vintage and panoramic photographs; patriotic World War I and II posters, and lithographs by Lucien Hector Jonas; an 1823 letter from British actor John P. Kemble; four illuminated Tafsir al-Qur'an manuscript paper leaves; Indian miniatures; and signed photos of Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Coleman. Rounding out the sale are ocean liner ephemera of the mid-20th century, including from Cunard/Queen Mary and United States Lines, and WWI-era newspaper flonges (molds).

An important part of this auction features the historical documents, papers and ephemera of Edward Mortimer Chapman and his family. Born in 1862, Chapman graduated from Yale Divinity School in 1890 and served as pastor of Old Lyme Congregational Church from 1906 to 1915. Chapman’s written works integrated his wide-ranging theological, literary, and historical interests. A descendant of Robert Chapman, one of the first settlers of Saybrook, Connecticut (c. 1635), Edward Chapman was an avid chronicler of history of his family and the area.

The Chapman-family’s offerings, many from the 18th century, include letters, land grants and sales, deeds, ledgers, opalotype milk glass portraits and miniatures, silhouettes, tintypes, photographs. Among the highlights are various letters from Woodrow Wilson, with whom Chapman had a personal acquaintance, through the Old Lyme Church and time spent in the Old Lyme art colony. Chapman corresponded with Wilson and his family, both when Wilson was president of Princeton University, and then during his U.S. presidency. Along with Woodrow Wilson, Chapman's correspondents included senators, clergymen at various institutions (many being friends from Yale Divinity), editors and reviewers, fellow antiquarians, and family members.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present Automobilia & Collectibles from the Estate of Francis E. Tarzian, Sr., on Saturday, July 30, 2022, at 10:30 am PDT. Mr. Tarzian was a passionate collector of antique automobiles and related items, whose restoration and machinist skills garnered numerous awards. This auction features a wide and eclectic array of automotive items, virtually all vintage and mostly antique, as well as some other collectibles from the early 20th-century era.

Among the many items of automobilia are gasoline, pump and truck service signs; license plate toppers; auto and truck badges; horns; auto lights and lamps; lanterns; collectible spark plugs; radiator caps; gauges; speedometers; a Cadillac steering wheel; and antique car parts such as ignition switches, clocks, radios, and more. The sale includes a wide selection of printed matter pertaining to antique vehicles, including books, magazines, maps, instruction manuals, and technical volumes including Automobile Engineering and Machinery’s Encyclopedia. In addition, there are several lots of advertising of vehicles and images of antique vehicles – all framed. More contemporary items include antique-car-show awards, badges, and ribbons; Shell and Sunoco coin games; and tire ashtrays.

Collectibles include a variety of antique sewing machines, irons, and cast iron toys. Rounding out the sale are miscellaneous tools, unopened consumer products, hip flasks, vacuum tubes, pipes and parts, law enforcement badges, a potato planter and seed sower, kerosene lamps, and wall sconces. Auction highlights include a boa constrictor horn; an antique Edison cylinder, phonographs and parts; and a GE Edison Mazda lamp store display.

About Francis E. Tarzian, Sr.

Francis Tarzian was born in 1929 and raised in New Jersey. His father, born en route while his grandmother was emigrating to America, was a stonemason who was adamant that his son Francis follow in his career footsteps. Young Francis, however, had other ideas: at age 17 – and with his mother’s permission – he ran away to join the U.S. Navy for several years. There he pursued his trade of choice, becoming a master machinist, and serving in the Korean War on the escort carrier USS Sicily.

 In 1955, Francis married Vennetta Harding, then began their family of five children: Francis Jr., Rebecca, Nathan, Lydia, and Gregory. In 1969, the family moved to Los Altos in Northern California. During that time, Mr. Tarzian worked for NASA’s Ames Research Center on the Polaris missile project. One noteworthy career achievement was his development of the fittings that connect hoses to the space suits of astronauts.

While Mr. Tarzian had a lifelong fascination with all things mechanical, his interest in restoring cars began in 1953 when he purchased a 1921 Ford Model T Center Door Sedan, recovered from a New Jersey barn. This first restoration project, one that Vennetta participated in as the young couple was courting, was completed in the mid-1950s. It was also in 1953 that Mr. Tarzian joined the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA), where he became the founding member and first president of the Foothills (CA) Region. Today the AACA organization boasts over 55,000 members and 350 regional chapters.

Each of the restoration projects lasted about three to five years. Mr. Tarzian was known for the exceptional quality of his restorations and the parts he produced, not only for his vehicles, but for those of other collectors. Because of his reputation, he was often welcomed into car museums, where he was allowed to take precise measurements of a part so he could machine and recreate it. With the exception of one second-place Grand National award in 1988 (of a vehicle restored in 1967), Mr. Tarzian’s vehicles were consistently awarded perfect scores of 100 points. According to his daughter, Rebecca Ross, the result of all the attention, care and love were exquisitely restored vehicles that she says were “a piece of jewelry you drive.” In January 2021, four of Mr. Tarzian’s vehicles – a 1907 Schacht Runabout (High Wheeler), 1912 Ford Model T Torpedo, 1919 White Model 15, 3/4-Ton Stake Side Truck, and 1921 Ford Model T Center Door Sedan – were offered by Turner Auctions + Appraisals and sold to avid collectors.

It’s no surprise that a man who appreciated cars would have other mechanical interests as well – and Mr. Tarzian did. He had numerous mini-collections of automobilia, such as spark plugs, radiator caps and other car-related ephemera. Another interest were motorcycles: with his BMW motorcycle, he was a member of “The-Thousand-And-One-Club” – traveling 1000 miles in just 24 hours! He also went across country and back in three weeks.

 Sadly, Mr. Tarzian died suddenly in 1997. Until recently, the family had chosen to keep his collection intact. However, with Mrs. Tarzian’s passing in 2020, the Tarzian children decided it was time to let others enjoy their father’s beloved collection of meticulously restored antique vehicles, automobilia, and collectibles.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to presentTurner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present the Grace Garcia Estate, Part 2, on Sunday, June 26, 2022. This sale features an extensive array of religious items, fine and decorative arts, and collectibles from the personal collection of the late Grace Garcia, owner of Gilroy Antiques in Gilroy, California, for over 30 years. Called Gracie by all who knew her, she was a passionate collector who traveled throughout the world, adding beautiful things along the way. This auction also includes several lots from other collectors, including paintings by William Russell Flint and Mauritz Frederik Hendrich de Haas, and groupings of character dolls and costume figures.

Items of fine art and decorative art in this sale from the trust of the Grace Garcia Estate are diverse and eclectic, mostly from the 18th to 20th centuries. This sale features a vast selection of religious items – giltwood angels and putti; monstrances; framed plaques of Christ, angels, Madonna, saints, and popes; Greek, Russian and Christian icons; table and relief altars, painted altar statues and figures; numerous crosses and crucifixes in various materials; reliquaries; sacred hearts; figurines; embroidered panels; two framed certificates of past popes; carved wood saint figures; and numerous other devotional items. Artworks include paintings by Gerrit Neven and William Rowe, and a small selection of marble busts. Among the many lots of decorative arts are porcelain boxes, vases, figures, busts and figurines; a birdcage automaton; cat or dog vases, boxes, figures and memorials; small toys; Victorian shell objects; French glass egg boxes; silver serving ware and decorative items; a Rivenc music box; rococo-style gilt candelabra; a Neoclassical-style crystal urn; a Taj Mahal tapestry; items under glass domes; and more. Rounding out the sale are early-20th-century postcard and ephemera albums; art books; and an Indian apothecary cabinet.on Sunday, June 26, 2022. This sale features an extensive array of religious items, fine and decorative arts, and collectibles from the personal collection of the late Grace Garcia, owner of Gilroy Antiques in Gilroy, California, for over 30 years. Called Gracie by all who knew her, she was a passionate collector who traveled throughout the world, adding beautiful things along the way. This auction also includes several lots from other collectors, including paintings by William Russell Flint and Mauritz Frederik Hendrich de Haas, and groupings of character dolls and costume figures.

Items of fine art and decorative art in this sale from the trust of the Grace Garcia Estate are diverse and eclectic, mostly from the 18th to 20th centuries. This sale features a vast selection of religious items – giltwood angels and putti; monstrances; framed plaques of Christ, angels, Madonna, saints, and popes; Greek, Russian and Christian icons; table and relief altars, painted altar statues and figures; numerous crosses and crucifixes in various materials; reliquaries; sacred hearts; figurines; embroidered panels; two framed certificates of past popes; carved wood saint figures; and numerous other devotional items. Artworks include paintings by Gerrit Neven and William Rowe, and a small selection of marble busts. Among the many lots of decorative arts are porcelain boxes, vases, figures, busts and figurines; a birdcage automaton; cat or dog vases, boxes, figures and memorials; small toys; Victorian shell objects; French glass egg boxes; silver serving ware and decorative items; a Rivenc music box; rococo-style gilt candelabra; a Neoclassical-style crystal urn; a Taj Mahal tapestry; items under glass domes; and more. Rounding out the sale are early-20th-century postcard and ephemera albums; art books; and an Indian apothecary cabinet.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present the Grace Garcia Estate, Part I, on Saturday, June 4, 2022. It features a wide array of paintings, religious items, and decorative arts from the personal collection of the late Grace Garcia, a passionate collector of beautiful things and avid world traveler. Known as Gracie by her many friends, acquaintances, and customers, she was owner of Gilroy Antiques in Gilroy, California, for over 30 years. Part II of her collection will be offered in early summer. This auction also includes jewelry, a silver water pitcher, and several other items from other California estates.

Items of fine art and decorative art in this sale from the trust of the Grace Garcia Estate are diverse and eclectic, mostly from the 18th to 20th centuries. They include paintings, marble sculptures and busts, glass and porcelain vases, ceramic wall plaques, needlepoint and crewel work, Gothic candlesticks, birdcage automatons, trinket boxes, French jewel caskets, painted miniatures, Staffordshire figures, Limoges boxes, Chinese ginger jars, sterling flatware and decorative items, Victorian wool work, an antique teaching skull, and much more. Among the religious lots are paintings, icons, monstrances, reliquaries, a ciborium, sacred hearts and plaques, carved statues and figures, crucifixes and crosses, Thai buddhas, Hindu deities, and Buddhist statues. Jewelry items for women and men include necklaces, bracelets, pendants, brooches, cufflinks, wrist and pocket watches. Many are in gold or silver set with gemstones. Designers include Tiffany, David Yurman, and Judith Ripka.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals presents Sports Cards & Memorabilia, Toy Cars, and Trains on Saturday, April 30, 2022, at 10:30 am PDT. The timed sale features over 230 lots from several Northern California collectors and estates. There are several themes in this auction, each with a variety of offerings. Among the sports cards, groupings include Shaquille O’Neal, Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, Football Hall of Fame, Basketball and Baseball Super Stars, Basketball Hall of Fame, and many others. In addition, many sports cards lots include commons of 2,000 or more. There’s also a wide selection of sports memorabilia: signed bats and photos from the San Francisco Giants as World Series Champions; autographed or specialty basketballs; signed football helmets, photographs, a football, and a jersey; and a variety of signed or souvenir boxing gloves, including Manny Pacquiao, Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Roberto Duran.

The are many groupings of Johnny Lightning toy cars of an array of years and series – most on original cards. These include Commemorative Cars, Challengers, Dragsters, Muscle Cars, Classic Customs, Toy Fair, Promotional, and Limited and Special Editions – plus originals on Topper cards. There are several other manufacturers as well: Racing Champions, Lionel Revolvers and Speed Rebels, Sizzlers, and Mattel Hot Wheels. Almost all of the model train offerings are from Lionel, including locomotives; switchers; cabooses; and freight, box, stock, dump, passenger cars – plus several Limited or Special Edition train sets. There are also some specialty train items such as a snowplow switcher, burro crane, and various accessories.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present Fine Art, Asian Art, Jewelry & More on April 16, 2022, from various collectors and estates. The sale offers a wide range of American and European paintings from the 17th to the 21st centuries; noted artists include Ira Yeager, Salvador Dalí, Thomas Hill, William Posey Silva, Marjorie Jane Reed, and German Grobe. In addition to a Ferdinand Preiss sculpture, there are several works in marble, bronze, or acrylic.

There is diverse selection of Asian arts: from China, artwork, a gilt carved panel, cloisonné boxes, a carved armchair, a brass vase, and a pewter and jade teapot; from India, a marquetry box, a 17th-century Somaskanda figure; from Thailand, pairs of bronze and Buddha heads and carved wood statues. There are also a Burmese Buddha, a Tibetan saddle, and Ganesh and Shiva figures. Items from Japan include a chest, swords with daggers, Imari dishes, and a wide selection of Japanese woodblock prints. Among the artists are Ando Hiroshige, Paul Jacoulet, Helen Hyde, Hiroshi Yoshida, Hasui Kawase, Yoshi Toshida, and Kunichika.

Decorative arts are also on offer, including a micro-mosaic snuff box, rock crystal balls on stands, porcelain vases, a birdcage music box, a selection of French Parian ware, an antique cased ship model “Flying Cloud,” sterling silver decorative items and serving ware, small furniture items such as red Eames low chairs, mantel and Le Coultre Atmos clocks, gilt frames, a neo-classical pier mirror, Czech cut-crystal tumblers, masks from New Guinea and Africa, various lighting fixtures and sconces, and more. Among the religious items are crucifixes, carved figures, French medals, and a 10k gold rosary. There are also books on art history, for children and youths, and a number from 18th- and 19th-century France.

A wide array of fine jewelry includes rings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants, crosses, brooches, charms, and watches for women and men. Many are made of gold, white gold or silver, embellished with gemstones such as diamonds, rubies, Bohemian garnets, sapphires, and lapis, or pearls or enamel. Cameo pieces are offered; a few items are from Tiffany or Cartier. There are also many groupings of rings and other jewelry – gem-set, antique, vintage, or costume. Rounding out the sale are gold coins, WWI silver medallions, women’s shoes from Prada and Bally, a wood-cased music player with 28 tune cobs, stereoscopes with glass plates, and several works on paper: a woodblock print, engraving, and Civil War photographs.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present The Armond Conti Collection of Model Trains, Part 1, on Saturday, March 12, 2022, at 10:30 am PST. Featuring over 250 lots from the estate of a Northern Californian who collected trains for over 75 years, the sale presents a variety of fine, distinctive, and desirable pre-war and post-war train offerings – some new old stock, some limited editions, some unused, and some with original boxes. These include diesel and steam locomotives, numerous sets and groupings, and a wide selection of train cars and related lots, such as copter, crane, ore, and fire cars; and a coal loader, snowplow, and ballast tamper. Some accessories are also available, including track, switches, turntables, a transformer, and platforms. Among the manufacturers are Lionel, MTH, 3rd Rail, K-Line, Atlas, Williams, KMT, Right of Way Industries, and others, plus TTOS (Toy Train Operating Society) models. Most are O gauge.

Born and raised in San Francisco, Armond Conti attended St. Ignatius High School and graduated from San Jose State in Industrial Technology. He met his wife Chris in the late 1950s, when they were both audience members of the popular radio show of Don Sherwood, who billed himself as the “world’s greatest disc jockey.” In 1964 the Contis and their then-three children moved to Livermore, California, then San Jose, where Mr. Conti worked as a nuclear engineer at General Electric for over 35 years, until he retired.

Armond Conti collected model trains for over 75 years, introduced to a lifelong passion around age 4, with a Christmas present from his parents. He continued to build and enhance his collection through the years, adding top-quality model trains from train shows and online sources. Perhaps no surprise as an engineer with an interest and skills in mechanics and technology, he also began to repair model trains for others, working after his day job at Bill’s Train Station in San Jose for over 15 years. He also set up an 18’ x 18’ shop in his backyard to pursue this aspect of his train hobby. His train layouts burgeoned as well, increasing as his homes got bigger: first at the top of his San Jose garage, where the layout platform hung down two feet from the ceiling and Mr. Conti would stand on a ladder to work on it. Later, when Mr. Conti moved to a nearby town, his train layout expanded to one-third of the basement of the family’s large and spacious new home.

Through the years, Mr. Conti enjoyed ‘train chasing’ with fellow train buffs, and visiting the Tehachapi Loop near Los Angeles, an engineering feat completed in 1876, where he would go watch trains with his son Mike and others. As Mike said, his dad liked trains because they were “big, noisy, and kind of cool.” These traits were shared with Mr. Conti’s other lifelong hobbies – muscle cars and World War II airplanes.

Now, with Mr. Conti’s passing, the family has decided to part with the collection for several reasons: no one has the same love of trains that Mr. Conti did, the family has other interests, and the model train hobby takes up a lot of space. Fellow enthusiasts who share Mr. Conti’s passion for model trains are sure to benefit from and enjoy the astute rewards of collecting for over seven decades.on Saturday, March 12, 2022, at 10:30 am PST. Featuring over 250 lots from the estate of a Northern Californian who collected trains for over 75 years, the sale presents a variety of fine, distinctive, and desirable pre-war and post-war train offerings – some new old stock, some limited editions, some unused, and some with original boxes. These include diesel and steam locomotives, numerous sets and groupings, and a wide selection of train cars and related lots, such as copter, crane, ore, and fire cars; and a coal loader, snowplow, and ballast tamper. Some accessories are also available, including track, switches, turntables, a transformer, and platforms. Among the manufacturers are Lionel, MTH, 3rd Rail, K-Line, Atlas, Williams, KMT, Right of Way Industries, and others, plus TTOS (Toy Train Operating Society) models. Most are O gauge.

Born and raised in San Francisco, Armond Conti attended St. Ignatius High School and graduated from San Jose State in Industrial Technology. He met his wife Chris in the late 1950s, when they were both audience members of the popular radio show of Don Sherwood, who billed himself as the “world’s greatest disc jockey.” In 1964 the Contis and their then-three children moved to Livermore, California, then San Jose, where Mr. Conti worked as a nuclear engineer at General Electric for over 35 years, until he retired.

Armond Conti collected model trains for over 75 years, introduced to a lifelong passion around age 4, with a Christmas present from his parents. He continued to build and enhance his collection through the years, adding top-quality model trains from train shows and online sources. Perhaps no surprise as an engineer with an interest and skills in mechanics and technology, he also began to repair model trains for others, working after his day job at Bill’s Train Station in San Jose for over 15 years. He also set up an 18’ x 18’ shop in his backyard to pursue this aspect of his train hobby. His train layouts burgeoned as well, increasing as his homes got bigger: first at the top of his San Jose garage, where the layout platform hung down two feet from the ceiling and Mr. Conti would stand on a ladder to work on it. Later, when Mr. Conti moved to a nearby town, his train layout expanded to one-third of the basement of the family’s large and spacious new home.

Through the years, Mr. Conti enjoyed ‘train chasing’ with fellow train buffs, and visiting the Tehachapi Loop near Los Angeles, an engineering feat completed in 1876, where he would go watch trains with his son Mike and others. As Mike said, his dad liked trains because they were “big, noisy, and kind of cool.” These traits were shared with Mr. Conti’s other lifelong hobbies – muscle cars and World War II airplanes.

Now, with Mr. Conti’s passing, the family has decided to part with the collection for several reasons: no one has the same love of trains that Mr. Conti did, the family has other interests, and the model train hobby takes up a lot of space. Fellow enthusiasts who share Mr. Conti’s passion for model trains are sure to benefit from and enjoy the astute rewards of collecting for over seven decades.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present Books & Manuscripts, Part 2, on March 5, 2022. The sale features over 205 lots of antique or vintage books, including some first editions; documents; maps; engravings, lithographs, postcard albums, signed lots, and more. Most offerings are from the collection and estate of Holbrook T. Mitchell of Northern California.

Printed in English, Latin and various European languages, the books date from the 14th-20th centuries. They cover a wide range of themes, including history, travel, the classics, poems and poetry, books and literature, California and Americana, aviation, churches and castles, England and Europe, wars, legends and folklore, cowboy life, Native Americans, Champagne, music, and stories for children and youths. Among the first or very early editions are works of Mark Twain, Louisa May Alcott, Ayn Rand, Isak Dinesen, William Faulkner, Ellery Queen, and Tom Swift novels. There are also books from the libraries of Mark Twain and Marie Louise, the second wife of Napoleon. Other noted authors include Horace; Seneca; Giovanni Boccaccio; Robert Louis Stevenson; Edith Van Dyne, the pseudonym for L. Frank Baum and Emma Speed Samson; and Herb Caen.

The documents include a French patent of nobility with a gilt-painted armorial miniature, English indentures, a 1704 French letter, an early printed book leaf, a Civil War pay voucher, and four illuminated Tafsir al-Qur'an manuscript leaves in Arabic and Persian. There are also a number of lots – books, letters, photographs, or legal documents – with signatures of the famous, including Theodore Roosevelt, Andrew Carnegie, Albert Einstein, Herbert Hoover, Luther Burbank, Alexandre Hamilton Jr., Barbara Stanwyck, Ronald Coleman, and Marie Joseph Louise de Savoie. A selection of postcard albums, mostly French, date from the early 1900s. Completing the sale are engravings by Giorgio Mantovano Ghisi and Antoine-Ignace Melling, three lots from the Planisphaerium Ptolemaicum series, Bernard Buffet lithographs, Indian miniatures, and a Walt Disney print secretarial signed.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present Model Trains & Accessories on Sunday, February 13, at 10:30 am PST. Featuring over 125 lots, mostly from long-time collector Paul Guaraglia, the timed sale features a variety of train offerings, including locomotives, various train cars, sets, accessories, buildings and other structures, track sections, switches, transformers, parts, and other items to enhance train layouts. Among the manufacturers are Lionel, LGB, MTH, American Flyer, Atlas, Marklin, K-Line and others, in G, O, S, and HO gauges. Vehicles; figures; advertising signs; and wood, rubber and cork roadbeds round out the sale.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present the sale of Hippie, Counterculture & Music Posters and More on Saturday, February 12, 2022, beginning at 10:30 am PST. From the estate of a Northern California collector, the timed auction features over 80 lots of vintage posters, publications, and memorabilia, mostly from the psychedelic or rock ‘n’ roll eras from the 1960s to early 2000s. Featured among the posters are the Grateful Dead, Bob Marley, Lightnin’ Hopkins, the San Francisco Oracle, Wavy Gravy, “The One,” Whiskey a Go Go, Veiled Isis, Peter Tosh, Astronauts of Inner Space, Detroit Cobras and Dirtbombs, Salsa y Sol, and others – many with related material.

Reggae fans will find a selection of reggae posters, prints and ephemera. There are books of psychedelic prayers from Timothy Leary and first poems by Mutabaruka. A variety of publications are represented in the sale, including Psychedelic Review, The City of San Francisco, San Francisco Oracle (Facsimile Portfolio #1), San Francisco Express Times, Illuminations, several 1980s punk rock magazines and more. There are also concert handbills, announcements, broadsides, several prints, and multiple albums of rock concert or collectible announcements. Rounding out the sale are several lots from Rick Griffin, Stanley Mouse and Alton Kelley; and posters for San Francisco arts festivals, 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics, Save Food from World War I, and the movie “Barfly.”

Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present the Holbrook T. Mitchell Collection of Books & Manuscripts on January 29, 2022. From the estate of a Northern California collector, the auction features 85 lots of antique or vintage written works in various languages from the 14th-20th centuries. Themes include art, antiquities, history, geography, travel and foreign countries, literature, poems, and more. Highlights include an illuminated 19th-century Persian Qu’ran (Koran) in Arabic; a book from the library of Marie Louise, the second wife of Napoleon; Cook's Voyages Around the World by G. W. Anderson, 1781; 11 Egyptian papyrus fragments, likely all from a single leaf; and a first edition of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from 1885.

Of particular note in this auction is the Book of Hours (Horae), an illuminated manuscript in Latin from the 15th-16th centuries. Popular in the Middle Ages and usually produced by scribes in monasteries, books of hours were created to assist the daily devotions of Christian monks, nuns, and laymen. They contained sets of prayers, usually in Latin, which were to be recited during the eight canonical hours. These books, each unique, were often designed to be visually appealing, with leading artists paid by wealthy patrons to create opulent illustrations that encouraged reflection and piety.