SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- The Period Art & Design auction, August 19 at Bonhams in San Francisco, will present special selections of furniture from the iconic San Francisco bars Henry Africa and Eddie Rickenbacker's, as well as contemporary furniture designed by Thomas and Margaret Saydah, featured in Serendipity Books in Berkeley, Calif., prior to its closing.

Property from these collections are among the more than 400 lots to be offered in the sale, which will also include a large selection of English and French clocks, sculptures by Miguel Berrocal, fine paintings and various rugs and carpets.

Norman Hobday, who passed away in 2011, served for 50 years as the keeper of the now-closed San Francisco bars Henry Africa and Eddie Rickenbacker's. The bars displayed a large collection of classic motorcycles, toy trains and antique lamps. Bonhams is proud to offer items from his collection.

Offerings from the Norman Hobday Trust will include a classical style mahogany center table, along with an Edwardian mahogany bowfront chest of drawers (est. $500-700) and a large grouping of Vienna bentwood chairs (est. $300-500), among others.

Also offered will be furniture from Serendipity Books, which opened more than 40 years ago in Berkeley. Its founder, Peter Howard (1939-2011), has been eulogized as “one of the most imaginative booksellers of his generation.” Howard stocked not only individual titles, but entire collections. He wanted people to search for their books, looking carefully and hopefully finding not only what they were looking for, but far more.

Furniture from Serendipity Books, as designed by Thomas and Margaret Saydah, will include several hardwood rocking chairs (each est. $1,500-2,500), a contemporary mixed hardwood coffee table (est. $1,800-2,500), a glass display case (est. $1,000-1,500), a pair of contemporary ebonized and mixed hardwood chairs (est. $400-600), and much more.

The sale will also offer a large collection of English and French clocks, including Louis Philippe and Naopoleon III style mantle and carriage clocks, with estimates ranging from $200-1,200; and six sculptures by Miguel Berrocal: Mini Maria, Mini David, Mini Cariatide, Portrait de Michele, Mini Zoraida and Mini Christina (each, est. $600-800).

There will be offerings of contemporary Made in California art, such as Space of Being, a gold leaf, silver leaf and mixed media on panel by Max Gimblett (est. $6,000-8,000) and an oil on canvas by Horst Trave, 10-10-1960 (est. $3,000-5,000), as well as California and Western art, such as Edith Hamlin's oil on canvas board, Tucson (est. $2,500-3,500).

There will also be several European paintings available, including an oil on canvas still life of flowers in a decorated vase, attributed to Franz Werner von Tamm (est. $4,000-6,000); an 18th century, Italian School oil on canvas of a pair of floral still lifes (est. $4,000-6,000); and an oil on panel of figures and two horses outside of a barn by Wouter Verschuur II (est. $2,000-3,000).

Contemporary highlights will include a set of 13 chromed metal and caned wood Cesca chairs by contemporary furniture designer Marcel Breuer (est. $800-1,200), a Michael Taylor cut velvet upholstered tufted sofa (est. $1,500-2,500) and a set of five Michael Taylor Baroque style side chairs (est. $800-1,200).

The sale’s illustrated catalogue will be available online in the weeks preceding it, for review and purchase at www.bonhams.com/perioddesignusa.com.

Auction Preview: August 17-19, San Francisco
Auction: August 19, San Francisco