Collected Histories: Four Standout Finds from Museum Deaccessions

Some auctions are defined by a single category. Others are more interesting because you never quite know what will appear on the next page of the catalog. Brunk Auctions’ Emporium taking place October 1, falls firmly into the latter camp.

The sale moves easily between American and English furniture, fine art and prints, watches, silver, porcelain, jewelry, carpets, glass, and collectibles. Adding another layer of interest are works deaccessioned from institutions including the Virginia Museum of History & Culture and The Brooklyn Museum, alongside property from several private collections and estates.

From a substantial group of museum prints to furniture with a direct connection to Virginia history, here are four lots worth a closer look.

A Collection of 42 Prints from the Brooklyn Museum
For collectors who enjoy the discovery that comes with works on paper, Lot 109 offers plenty to explore. The group includes 42 prints dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, with lithographs, etchings, and engravings by artists including Henry Wolf, Thomas Johnson, Virginia Lee Kiser, Mons Breidvik, John McRae, Walter Monteith Aikman, and Jacques Reich, among others. Most are signed or inscribed, and the collection is offered unframed with an estimate of $100–$300. 

What makes the group particularly engaging is its institutional history. Some of the works were gifts from the artists themselves, while others were given to the Brooklyn Museum. Rather than a single image or artist, the lot offers a small archive to sort through, one with different techniques, subjects, and artistic voices gathered together over time.

An American Poplar Bookcase with Virginia History
At first glance, Lot 129 is a handsome early 20th-century poplar bookcase with glazed doors and adjustable shelves. Look a little closer at its history, however, and the piece becomes much more than storage.

The bookcase comes from the Stewart-Lee House in Richmond, Virginia, and was deaccessioned by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. Until 1948, it housed the Virginia Historical Society’s rare book collection. Later, through 2020, it was used to store a substantial portion of the library of Conway Robinson, a Richmond attorney, legal author, and longtime chairman of the Society’s executive committee. It carries an estimate of $300–$500. 

It is the kind of furniture that feels especially suited to a study or library, not simply because of its scale and function, but because books have already been part of its story for generations.

Four George I Style Mahogany Side Chairs
Traditional furniture collectors may want to spend time with Lot 186, a set of four British George I style mahogany side chairs dating to the late 19th century.

The chairs feature vasiform splats, cushioned slip seats, and distinctive webbed ball-and-claw feet, details that give the set a strong decorative presence without making it feel overly formal. Like the bookcase, the chairs were deaccessioned by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture to benefit collections care, preservation, and future acquisitions. The set is estimated at $200–$400. 

A set of four also offers flexibility: they could work around a smaller dining table, in a library, or divided throughout a home as occasional seating. For anyone drawn to classic mahogany furniture and traditional craftsmanship, they are an approachable entry point.

A Group of 20th-Century Kitchenalia
One of the most charming lots in the sale may also be one of the most unexpected. Lot 126 brings together an assorted group of 32 pieces of 20th-century kitchenalia, including pottery, clear glass objects, and utensils.

The catalog photography shows a mix of familiar domestic forms, a teapot, serving pieces, vessels, glassware, and kitchen tools, that feels less like a coordinated set and more like the accumulated contents of an earlier kitchen. Estimated at $100–$300, the group was also deaccessioned by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. 

For collectors of historic domestic objects, or anyone who likes mixing antique pieces into a contemporary kitchen, it is a lot that rewards looking closely.

A Sale Made for Browsing
Part of the appeal of an Emporium auction is the range. A museum collection of prints can sit alongside historic bookcases, British furniture, watches, porcelain, silver, toys, and everyday objects whose histories might otherwise be overlooked.

Brunk Auctions’ Emporium | October 1, 2026 is especially rich in pieces that carry stories beyond their decorative appeal, whether through museum provenance, institutional use, or the simple evidence of lives lived around them.

Explore the full catalog on Bidsquare.com.