deaccession

or de-ac·ces·sion

[ dee-ak-sesh-uhn ]

verb (used with object)

1. to sell (a work of art) from a museum's or gallery's collections, especially with a view to acquiring funds for the purchase of other works.

verb (used without object)

1. to deaccession a work of art from a museum's or gallery's collections.

noun

1. a deaccessioned work of art.

Word History and Origins

Origin of deaccession¹

First recorded in 1970–75; de- + accession

Example Sentences

This is a bit of a switch for Tefaf, the grand old art fair started in Maastricht, the Netherlands, which started off as a place to buy deaccessioned museum pieces and bona fide old masters.

From New York Times

When public art is deaccessioned, Clark explained, it legally has to be destroyed, so she sought permission from those artists to reuse some of their materials in “What You Have Become.”

From Seattle Times

Valparaiso’s announcement alarmed art associations because of a long-held principle among museums: Revenue from deaccessioned pieces should be used to acquire new works, not for operating costs.

From New York Times

The British Museum is prevented by law from "deaccessioning" items in its collection.

From BBC

The British Museum, for example, is banned by Parliament from "deaccessioning" items in its collections, except in very specific circumstances.

From BBC