On August 8, The Violet Taaffe Estate goes up for bid at Turner Auctions + Appraisals

SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- Turner Auctions + Appraisals is very pleased to present The Violet Taaffe Estate on Saturday, August 8, 2020. Mrs. Taaffe, a long-time San Francisco resident, presided over a stately turn-of-the-century home that featured fine art, exquisite jewelry, Asian pieces and decorative items. This online auction offers over 270 lots, many with the provenance and pedigree of renowned artists and designers, mostly from Mrs. Taaffe, augmented by a small number of items from another Bay Area estate.

Among the art are works by Granville Redmond, Armin Hansen, Arthur Best, Herman Wendelborg Hansen and William Mortensen. Jewelry highlights include diamond and platinum rings, necklaces and bracelets. Other fine and costume jewelry feature bracelets, earrings, necklaces, rings and eternity rings, brooches, and pendants, with gold, sterling and blackened silver, diamonds, turquoise, coral, jade, tanzanite, amethyst, amber, opal, aquamarine, rubies and emeralds. Among the designers or fashion houses are pieces from Tiffany, Hermès, John Hardy, Jim Wagner, Max Chayat and Charles Garnier. There are also a number of costume jewelry groupings. Items for men include pocket watches, wedding rings and cufflinks. A selection of handbags, satchels, evening purses, and belts come from Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Ferragamo and Céline. Among the clothing offerings are Giorgio Armani and designer dresses.

There are a number of intriguing decorative arts on offer, including a tortoise coffee table base and ostrich egg candlesticks by Anthony Redmile, small sculptures by Sergio Bustamente and Gucci, a pair of 18th-/19th-century Chinese cloisonné censers, a 19th-century ‘nine-dragon’ child’s robe, and a Tiffany Favrile glass vase. Other items in the sale include 19th-century French clocks, a Lalique bowl, Royal Doulton figurines, numerous pieces of sterling or hallmark silver serving ware and tableware, Izabel Lam flatware, and much more.

Also from China, mostly from the 19th-century, are silver export teapots, blue-and white teapots and jars, famille rose standing Immortals, and painted snuff boxes. From Japan are bronze sculptures and cloisonné cigarette boxes. Turner Auctions + Appraisals begins its online auction on Saturday, August 8, 2020, at 10:30 am PDT; sale items are available for preview and bidding now. The auction will be featured live on multiple platforms: LiveAuctioneers, Invaluable, Bidsquare, iCollector, and Turner Auctions + Appraisals’ free mobile app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Apps (“Turner Auctions”). All are easily accessed through ‘Upcoming Auctions’ at the company’s website.

Violet Schoning Taaffe was a third-generation San Franciscan, the daughter of a business owner whose first lithography company was demolished in the 1906 earthquake. Violet graduated from Stanford University in 1941 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a psychology major. She received her Master’s Degree in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1945, then became a social worker for the City and County of San Francisco. In 1947 she married Edward J. Taaffe, who became a longtime Chevron Corp. executive and a San Francisco attorney. At age 51, Mrs. Taaffe went back to the University of San Francisco to become a teacher in the San Francisco School District.

She was an active member and served on the board of many important community organizations, including the San Francisco Opera Guild, the Junior League of San Francisco, the Art Museum at University of California Irvine and the Newport Harbor Art Museum. In 2020, Mrs. Taaffe passed away at age 99; she is survived by two children, five grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

Here are some highlights of the upcoming sale:

Lot 94: Two late 19th-/early 20th-century Chinese silver teapots and warming stands. Both teapots, one warmer and one stand marked HC (Hung Chong). Teapots: 8″ and 9″. Weight: 2238 g. Estimate $4,000 – $6,000.

Lot 25: Arthur Best (1859 – 1935). Title: Mountain Landscape. Signature: Lower right. Size: 25″ x 36″. Medium: Oil on canvas. Estimate $2,000 – $4,000.

Lot 84: A pair of 18th-/19th-century Chinese cloisonné. A pair of 18th-/19th-century Chinese cloisonné lidded lobed censers on stands. Size: 8 1/2″ x 7″. Estimate $3,000 – $5,000.

Lot 167: Vintage diamond and platinum solitaire ring. Centering an old European-cut diamond, measuring approximately 9.05 x 9.1 x 5.7mm, weighing an estimated 2.95cts., K-L color/VS-SI clarity, accented by 4 round brilliant and baguette-cut diamonds weighing an estimated 0.14ct.; 4.5gr.; size 7. Estimate $6,000 – $8,000.

Lot 27: William Mortensen (1897-1965). Portfolio of 23 works: Erotic and theatrical bromoil transfer prints. In overall good condition. Size: 5 3/4″ x 4 1/2″. Estimate $6,000 – $8,000.

Lot 39: Tiffany green Favrile glass vase. First-quarter 20th-century Tiffany green Favrile glass vase, with pulled feather decoration, approximately 17 inches in height. Estimate $800 – $1,200.

Lot 88: A 19th-century brown-ground ‘nine-dragon’ child’s robe. Elaborately decorated on both front and back in gold wire with full-face five- clawed dragon coiled around a flaming pearl. Size: 33 inches in length. Frame size: 80″ x 50″. Condition: missing sleeves. Estimate $3,000 – $5,000.

Lot 5: Armin Hansen (1886 – 1957). Title: Cosimo Aiello, Man of the Sea. Signature: Lower right. Size: 8″ x 5 7/8″. Medium: Etching. Estimate $800 – $1,200.

Lot 162: Jadeite Jade and 18k gold ring. Oval cabochon jadeite jade measuring approximately 17 x 13.2 x 7.35mm; weighing 7.8 grams; size: 7. Estimate $1,000 – $1,500.

Lot 257: Louis Vuitton Artsy Hobo Mm canvas & leather tote. Measuring approximately 18 x 9.4 x 12.5in., with later replaced handle done by LV, good overall, gently used. Estimate $800 – $1,200.

Lot 35: Granville Redmond (1871 – 1935). Title: Poppies and Lupine. Signature: Lower left. Size: 9″ x 12″. Medium: Oil on canvas. Estimate $15,000 – $25,000.

Lot 166: Vintage diamond and platinum bracelet. The link bracelet is set throughout with 132 old mine, old single, and transitional-cut diamonds, weighing in total an estimated 9.0cts., I-M/VS-Imp range; weighing approximately 22.8gr.; length: 6 1/2in. Estimate $4,500 – $6,500.