When it comes to auction events, `something for everyone` is a claim often made but seldom realized. Important Curated California Collections presented at Michaan`s Auctions on Friday, December 8, fits the description, with a qualifier: in this sale there is something for everyone with an eye for taste and quality. Offered are nearly 300 lots of remarkable property amassed by a longtime Silicon Valley collector, who collaborated with top English and American galleries and designers on both coasts for many years. Surrounding the collector`s 16,000 square foot California residence are extensive formal gardens. A highlight of the December 8th sale is the selection of rare garden ornaments, such as the pair of 19th century French cast stone sphinxes on pedestals estimated at $4,000-$6,000. The sundial, $2,000-$3,000, is by Edward Troughton (1753-1835), who designed and made England`s finest navigational and astronomical instruments. Th
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