Deep Cuts is your monthly digest tracking the hottest and most high-value collectibles entering the market—from rare cultural artifacts to headline-grabbing sales. 

Some 200 objects from the Brooklyn Museum’s collection—ranging from period furniture and furnishings to watercolors and tapestries—are coming to auction in the institution’s latest deaccessioning effort.

Brunk Auctions is hosting the April 9 sale, which is frontloaded with American furniture. Among them are a late 17th-century cupboard of carved oak (estimate: $60,000–$90,000) and a painted blanket chest from the 19th century ($7,000–$10,000). Rarest of all is a ca. 1690 walnut dressing table with shaped legs that once graced the Brooklyn Museum’s period rooms; it’s the only surviving American dressing table of its kind, hence its $80,000–$120,000 estimate.

Early New York walnut sawn-leg dressing table, from the collection of the Brooklyn Museum. Photo courtesy of Brunk Auctions.

Elsewhere in the sale, there are artworks by Abraham Walkowitz and John Butler, as well as 17th- to 19th-century embroidered textiles and needlework samplers, all estimated to fetch between three to four figures.

This recent round of deaccessioning follows the Brooklyn Museum’s sale of period artifacts in 2024 and tapestries in 2025, as part of an “ongoing effort to turn spaces used for storage into galleries to show more of our collections,” a museum spokesperson told me over email. This latest trove was selected through an intentional review process, the institution noted, that adheres to deaccessioning guidelines set out by the Association of Art Museum Directors. The absence of these items “will not diminish our collections,” they emphasized.

New England fan-carved mahogany high chest, from the collection of the Brooklyn Museum. Photo courtesy of Brunk Auctions.

“In this case, these objects were of lesser quality than others in the collection,” they added. “While we prioritize institutional transfers as much as possible, and have been successful in placing some objects at other museums, historical societies, libraries, and schools, there are some works that are more appropriate for sale by public auction.”

Proceeds from the sale will go toward collection care and key acquisitions that will help address gaps in the museum’s holdings.

Also on the Market

– Historic Letters: In 1955, young senator John F. Kennedy penned a letter to his mistress, Swedish aristocrat Gunilla von Post—on U.S. Senate letterhead, no less—informing her, “I am coming to Stockholm.” Now, the clandestine message is up for grabs through March 26 at RR Auctions, still in fine condition, save for a few ink smudges. It is estimated to be worth $30,000.

Jane Wagner and Lily Tomlin. Photo courtesy of Jane Wagner and Lily Tomlin, via Bonhams.

– Star Collections: Over five decades, comedian Lily Tomlin and writer Jane Wagner haven’t just shared a relationship and creative partnership, but an enviable collection of art and photography. Selections of their hoard are headed to Bonhams on April 8, led by works from Robert Rauschenberg’s “Short Stories” series, one of which was gifted to Tomlin by the artist. There are also screenprint portraits by Andy Warhol, and images by Diane Arbus and Annie Leibovitz. 

– Gaming Memorabilia: A March 28 video game sale at Heritage Auctions comes headlined by a pristine, unopened copy of the initial Resident Evil Playstation release. The lot is consigned by collector TheGraded80s_Kid, a hobbyist who foresaw a market for sealed, well-preserved video games. Bidding for the iconic title is currently up to $97,500.

Letter fragment signed by Mary Anning. Photo courtesy of Bonhams.

– Historic Letters: A fragment of a 19th-century letter from pioneering paleontologist Mary Anning is up for sale at Bonhams through March 26. But it’s no ordinary missive: on the scrap, Anning, best known for her discoveries of Ichthyosaur and Plesiosaurus remains, offers the rare admission that she is “worn out,” that “the name of fossils makes me sick.” The U.K.’s Lyme Regis Museum is raising funds to acquire the document, which carries a high estimate of $8,000.

– Natural History: The 66-million-year-old Triceratops skeleton has landed at Joopiter, marking the auction platform’s first dinosaur lot. Dubbed Trey, the fossil was excavated in 1993, before it was exhibited at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center continuously for 30 years from 1995. Trey is expected to command $5.5 million; bidding closes March 31.

Trey the Triceratops. Photo courtesy of Joopiter.

– Notorious Works: Charles Bronson, a petty criminal so infamous he merited his own biopic, is one of the U.K.’s longest-serving prisoners—and it turns out, an artist. A cache of about 500 mixed-media artworks he created during his decades in confinement is now being offered at David Duggleby Auctioneers, where it is expected to realize £100,000–£200,000 ($133,680–$267,300). The 73-year-old Bronson is reportedly not profiting from the sale.

– Historic Letters: A 1875 letter Claude Monet fired off to Gustave Manet, brother of painter Édouard, seeking a 1,000-franc loan, is resurfacing on the block at International Autograph Auctions on March 25. The document, in which Monet offers 35 paintings up as collateral, is expected to bring in €80,000–€120,000 ($92,100–$138,200).

The Hot Lot

David Gilmour’s 1969 Fender Stratocaster, known as “The Black Strat.” Photo: Christie’s Images Ltd. 2026.

The sale of Jim Irsay’s unrivaled pop culture collection at Christie’s was remarkable not just for the staggering $94.5 million it achieved—but also for resetting the market for guitars. In his lifetime, the late owner of the Indiana Colts collected an abundance of guitars, some 200 of which were dispersed at the New York auction on March 3–17. The guitar sales alone brought in $84 million, with David Gilmour’s black 1969 Fender Stratocaster realizing a whopping $14.5 million, becoming the world’s most valuable guitar (the record was previously held by the $6 million Martin D-18E owned by Kurt Cobain).

The auction, in fact, saw Christie’s move three of history’s priciest guitars. Trailing Gilmour’s “Black Strat” were Jerry Garcia’s custom-built Doug Irwin guitar, which made $11.5 million, and Cobain’s blue Fender Mustang, seen in the “Smells Like Teen Spirit Video,” which fetched $6.9 million. Gibson SG models owned by Eric Clapton and George Harrison, meanwhile, sold for $3 million and $2.2 million respectively.

They’re results that push electric guitars into the rarefied price territory usually occupied by storied Stradivarius masterpieces—the 1721 Lady Blunt Stradivari violin set a record when it realized $15.9 million in 2011. Julian Pradels, president of Christie’s Americas, called the outcome “a testament to the enduring resonance of our shared cultural icons.”