Some homes hold furniture. This one holds a life — two lives, a family, and nearly a century of beautiful accumulation.

This estate belonged to a remarkable couple. He was a WW II Merchant Marine for over two decades who sailed into history and came home with the instincts of a collector and the eye of a traveler. She was an accomplished violinist — Oakland-born, Oakland Tech raised — who graced the stages of local symphonies and earned medals for her artistry. Together they...