Miller & Miller to auction Canadiana highlights Oct. 10

Miller & Miller Auctions will sell 282 lots of Canadiana, furniture, art and textiles online Oct. 10, led by a rare French Régime buffet, a Quebec religious sculpture and a Mi’kmaq quill box. The sale draws from the Bienvenu, Van Horne/Ferguson and East Coast collections and emphasizes regional craftsmanship, history and provenance.

Why it matters: - The auction pulls together museum-quality Canadiana from major private collections. - The sale highlights regional craftsmanship from Quebec, Ontario, the Maritimes, Western Canada and Indigenous makers. - Strong provenance and rare survival examples are likely to drive interest from collectors of furniture, folk art, textiles and historical objects.

What happened: - Miller & Miller Auctions will hold a 282-lot online-only Canadiana sale on Oct. 10, 2026. - The sale is titled Canadiana – Featuring the Bienvenu, Van Horne/Ferguson & East Coast Collections. - The live webcast begins at 9:00 a.m. EDT. - Bidding will be available through Miller & Miller Auctions and LiveAuctioneers. - Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted.

The details: - Lot 209 is a rare French Régime lozenge buffet dating to about 1690–1720. - The buffet came from Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal in Quebec. - The pine buffet has two lozenge-panel doors, mitred frames in the French manner, lozenge-panel sides, a double-panelled back, original fische hinges and period escutcheons. - The buffet is from the Francine and late Paul Bienvenu Collection and carries a CAD $10,000–$18,000 estimate. - Lot 212 is Le Bon Pasteur (“The Good Shepherd”), a hanging pine sculpture dated circa 1875. - The sculpture retains remnants of cream-yellow paint and traces of original silver and gold leaf. - The work was purchased in Quebec City in 1956–1957. - The sculpture is attributed to Ferdinand Villeneuve and is estimated at CAD $8,000–$12,000. - Lot 157 is a large Mi’kmaq dome-top quill box dating to about 1840. - The birchbark box features a central eight-point star, stepped and arched motifs, woven geometric patterns on the spruce-root lid rim and vertical quill decoration in blue, light green, yellow and white. - The box comes from the Scott Babin Collection and carries a CAD $5,000–$7,000 estimate. - Lot 207 is a Canadian refectory table with eight matching pine stools dating to about 1890–1920. - The table has three trestle-type plank legs, a three-board top and extension flaps supported by hinged butterflies. - The set retains its original varnished surface and was brought to London, Ontario by an Ursuline order when it moved from Montreal. - The table is from the Ron Van Horne and Scott Ferguson Collection and is estimated at CAD $3,000–$5,000. - Lot 224 is a mid-19th-century lattice-back sofa found in a home near Goderich, Ontario. - The sofa has scrolled arms, turned legs and arm posts, a pine seat, pegged construction, chamfered lattice slats and original paint with a crackled surface. - The sofa is from the Ron Van Horne and Scott Ferguson Collection and is estimated at CAD $2,000–$3,000. - Lot 197 is a Lunenburg County sailcloth lodge painting dating to about 1880–1890. - The painting shows motifs associated with the Independent Order of Oddfellows, including a heart-and-hand symbol beneath an all-seeing eye. - The work is in exceptional condition with strong polychrome colours and is illustrated in Richard Henning Field’s Spirit of Nova Scotia: Traditional Decorative Folk Art, 1780–1930. - The painting comes from the former Chris Huntington Collection and carries a CAD $1,500–$2,000 estimate. - Lot 3 is an early Canadian pine trade sign in the form of a mortar and pestle. - The countertop-style apothecary or druggist sign retains original gold paint, some early overpaint and a strong form and surface. - The unmarked sign is in very good condition with some age cracks and is estimated at CAD $1,200–$1,500. - Lot 21 is a circa 1930 Grenfell Mission hooked book cover. - The cover shows a male and female hunter on the flaps and a lone pine tree on the spine. - The piece is hooked in silk stocking and brin and retains its original “Grenfell Labrador Industries” label. - The book cover is from the Ron Van Horne and Scott Ferguson Collection and is estimated at CAD $1,000–$1,500. - The catalog also includes two sailor’s valentines, trade signs, religious sculpture and material associated with the Grenfell Mission. - Miller & Miller said the sale ranges from important early Quebec furniture to East Coast folk art, Indigenous objects, textiles, artwork and smaller objects that tell the story of everyday Canadian life. - Miller & Miller also said the “smalls” are grouped like mini collections, giving bidders a deeper look at specific Canadian traditions.

Between the lines: - The auction leans on provenance and regional identity, not just rarity. - Grouping small objects into mini collections may help bidders compete for entire categories rather than single pieces. - The mix of early furniture, folk art and Indigenous objects suggests a broad collector base rather than a narrow specialty sale.

What's next: - The auction will close lots sequentially in real time during the Oct. 10 webcast. - Collectors can continue to bid online, by phone or absentee through the sale date. - Miller & Miller is accepting quality consignments. - More information is available in the auction listing and on the company's website.