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Collectibles and Curiosities

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Collectibles and Curiosities For Sale
1970s Industrial Cast Aluminium and Brass Flame Proof Edison Striplight, Orange
Located in Leicester, Leicestershire
Korean flame proof Edison LED twin strip light made by Daeyang in the 1970s with bespoke signal orange finish. Original item salvaged from supertankers ...
Category

Late 20th Century Korean Industrial Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Aluminum, Brass

Concorde Supersonic Model
Located in Paris, FR
Model Concorde supersonic with light wooden body and all covered with riveted aluminium foil. On polished stainless steel base with item's descri...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Aluminum

Vintage Bausch & Lomb Brass Harbormaster 0905 Telescope on Tripod Stand
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Bausch & Lomb Brass 0905 Harbormaster 48" Telescope on Tripod Stand. Circa Mid to Late 20th Century. Measurements: 60" H x 48" W x 32" D.
Category

Mid-20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

"On the March to the Sea" Print by Alexander Hay Ritchie, after F.O.C Darley
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
This color print of On The March to the Sea by Felix O.C. Darley, and engraved by A.H. Ritchie, is a stunning portrayal of William T. Sherman’s notorious Georgia Campaign. Originally...
Category

1860s American Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Signed, Handwritten Letter from Winston Churchill dated 1950 with Envelope.
Located in Tetbury, GB
A rare letter signed by Winston Churchill dated March 1950. The letter reads: “Thank you so much for your message of goodwill at this anxious time for our country.” This letter i...
Category

1950s British Edwardian Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

M.I. Hummel The Golden Anniversary Album Hardcover 1st Ed. 1984
By Carl Maria Hummel
Located in North Hollywood, CA
M.I. Hummel: The Golden Anniversary Album Hardcover – January 1, 1984. by Eric W. Ehrmann (Author), Robert L. Miller (Author), M.I. Hummel (Illustrator) 1st edition, 1st printing. T...
Category

Late 20th Century German Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

What a Rock Can Reveal
Located in New York City, NY
A stunningly illustrated, informative introduction to the wonders of rocks and minerals and what they can tell us about our planet – perfect for readers aged 6-9 Award-winning scien...
Category

2010s Chinese Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

T. Cooke London Brass Prismatic Nautical Maritime Navigation Compass
Located in Dayton, OH
Vintage T. Cooke of London prismatic compass. Brass case with pierced sight line in the lid, folding prism, metallic gold tone face, and short stand able to be screwed onto a tripod ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

George IV Silver Gilt Vinaigrette Made in Birmingham by John Bettridge, 1830
By John Bettridge
Located in London, GB
A very fine & unusual George IV Silver Gilt Vinaigrette made in Birmingham in 1830 by John Bettridge. The Vinaigrtte is broad rectangular in form with engine turned sides and base. ...
Category

19th Century English George IV Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver, Sterling Silver

Beige Is Not a Color Deluxe Edition Book by Carlos Mota
Located in New York, NY
Beige Is Not a Color Deluxe Edition By: Carlos Mota To celebrate the publication of Beige Is Not a Color, Carlos Mota has designed an oversize portfolio box, wrapped in his signatur...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Markham Roberts Notes on Decorating Book by Markham Roberts
Located in New York, NY
Markham Roberts Notes on Decorating By: Markham Roberts Photography by Nelson Hancock Foreword by Alison Levasseur Called a “master of timeless Americ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Beige Is Not A Color The Full-Spectrum World of Carlos Mota Book by Carlos Mota
Located in New York, NY
Beige Is Not A Color The Full-Spectrum World of Carlos Mota By: Carlos Mota Carlos Mota is a creative consultant with extensive experience in styling, interior design, product desig...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Style for all seasons Hardcover 1983 by Elizabeth and David Emanuel
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Emanuel, David & Elizabeth, Style for all Seasons. London: Pavilion Books Ltd., 1983. Hardcover. 1st Edition collectible. Inscribed signed by Elizabeth Emanuel, who designed Princess...
Category

Late 20th Century British Victorian Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Jacques Callot, French Book by Paulette Choné, 1992
Located in Atlanta, GA
Jacques Callot 1592 - 1635, French book by Paulette Choné, 1992. This important book was published after the Jacques Callot exhibition presented at the Lorraine Historical Museum in ...
Category

1990s French Medieval Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Antique Map of India during the height of the Mughal Imperial Expansion, 1713
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'L'Inde de ca le Gange (..)'. Beautiful original antique map embracing most of India, made during the height of the Mughal imperial expansion. The map encompasses ...
Category

Early 18th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

1930s Architecture in Paris, French Book by Jean-Marc Labordiere, 2009
By General Decoration
Located in Atlanta, GA
L'Architecture des Années 30 a Paris (1930s Architecture in Paris), French book by Jean-Marc Larbodiere. The International Style comes from the Modern Movement (Bauhaus in Germany, Le Corbusier, and the Esprit Nouveau in France), an extension of Art Nouveau. This book invites the Parisian walker and tourists to recognize the buildings built in Paris by the greatest architects of the 1930s. After the excitement of the Roaring Twenties, France faced a major economic crisis and political and social uncertainty. Cultural life sees the emergence of mass culture. In architecture, modernism is spreading in society. In 1926, Le Corbusier set...
Category

Early 2000s French Art Deco Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

1925 The Memory Years, French Book by Editions Larousse, 1988
By Modern History
Located in Atlanta, GA
1925, Les Années-Mémoire (1925, The Memory Years), French book by Editions Larousse, 1988. Relive the year 1925 as if you were there. This volume will make you relive, with emotion, the facts and events of the interwar period. Because that year, in France, we hear everywhere humming, "When We Are Two, It's Not The Same Thing" by Maurice Chevalier. Street music and music hall contribute to a good mood. And yet, the economic situation is hardly smiling, and the French government knows many setbacks: in April, Edouard Herriot yields his place as president of the Council to Paul Painlevé, and in October, Aristide Briand, in his turn, replaces it. Inflation in Germany is still rife, and the mark value is almost zero. 1925 is also rich in artistic and sporting events. American crews completed the first circumnavigation of the globe by plane in 175 days. French actor Michel Simon is first seen in Marcel L'Herbier's film "Feu Mathias Pascal." Classical music is not to be outdone, Maurice Ravel composes Tzigane, and Honegger triumphs with his King David. A new phenomenon, sport fascinates more and more French people and attracts many followers. Our tennis players excel at Wimbledon while the All Blacks come to give us a rugby lesson. In Monaco, we happily celebrate Louis II...
Category

1980s French Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

New York Vertical, Photographs Book by Horst Hamann, 2000
By Modern History
Located in Atlanta, GA
New York Vertical, English Book by Horst Hamann, 2000. This book offers a new perspective on New York, the American metropolis. This award-winning pictorial tribute to the world's mo...
Category

Early 2000s American Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

The Art of Home
Located in New York, NY
The first book from designer Sara Story, who combines a global bohemian sensibility with a passion for art to curate clean but striking rooms that balance s...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Creative Playthings Crossword Blocks
Located in Garnerville, NY
Wood crossword blocks puzzles by Creative Playthings, Princeton, New Jersey. Circa 1967. Instructions included. Solid wood cubes with vibrant orange lettering. Never mind the phone o...
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood, Paper

Barkley L. Hendricks: Portraits at The Frick
Located in New York, NY
American artist Barkley L. Hendricks (1945–2017) revolutionized contemporary portraiture with his vivid depictions of Black subjects beginning in the late 1960s. This book contextualizes Hendricks’s portraits at different stages of the country’s history and places him in the pantheon of innovative twentieth-century artists. Hendricks developed his signature style at a time of significant social and cultural change in the United States, especially with regard to Black artists, and amid a perceived bifurcation between abstraction and representation. He produced portraits from the late 1960s through the early 1980s. Following a hiatus during which he made landscapes, basketball paintings, works on paper, and photographs, he resumed his portraiture practice from 2002 until his death in 2017. Hendricks’s portrait paintings, often derived from photographs of friends and family, hired models, or figures he encountered on the street, were inspired by the artist’s research, international travels, and visits to museums like The Frick Collection, where he studied centuries-old European paintings...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Chrome Art Deco Two-Tier Ashtray Stand with Electric Lighter
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Original chrome Art Deco two-tier ashtray stand featuring a decorative chrome body and swirl glass accent along the base with 3 ashtrays and an electric lighter. The stand has a shel...
Category

1930s American Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Chrome

Pigskin Fly Fishing Wallet for Flies and Cast.
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
Leather Fly Wallet. A good pigskin leather fishing fly and cast wallet with embossed tram line decoration. The brown leather is in good original condition. The wallet has two inside ...
Category

1910s British Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

Antique 19th Century French Coal Iron
Located in New Orleans, LA
A charming antique 19th century French iron and wood coal iron with an unusual dolphin decorated iron and wood handle from the provinces of France.
Category

1880s French French Provincial Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Iron

Steel Shafted Tom Morris Golf Club, St Andrews
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
Steel Shafted Tom Morris Golf Club. An early steel shafted golf club, No. 7 iron, stamped Tom Morris, St Andrews. The club head has a curved hollowed back and is stamped 'Walker Cup...
Category

1940s English Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Steel

The New Antiquarians: At Home with Young Collectors
Located in New York City, NY
An inspiring collection of idiosyncratic interiors assembled around eclectic collections of objects with life and history The once-rarefied world of antiques is bursting open thanks to a new generation of collectors. The New Antiquarians features twenty-two young connoisseurs whose spirited interiors exemplify unorthodox approaches to living with history. Hailing from across the United States and Britain, they brazenly blend the old with the new, embrace anachronism and pastiche, employ serious knowledge with humor and wit, and consider vintage and historical objects through the lens of contemporary values. The New Antiquarians is an exuberant entry point into the world of antiques, highlighting one-of-a-kind collections and single-minded collectors whose stories suggest compelling new ways of living with the past. Collectors whose homes are featured include Jared Austin; Emily Adams Bode Aujla and Aaron Singh Aujla; Pablo Bronstein; Collier Calandruccio; Adam Charlap Hyman; Emily Eerdmans; Jared Frank; Andrew LaMar Hopkins...
Category

2010s Chinese Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Irving Penn Regards the Work of Issey Miyake - 1st Edition, Johnathan Cape, 1999
Located in London, GB
First Edition, published by Jonathan Cape, London 1999. Collecting photographs taken between 1975-1998, this bright and still forward-thinking...
Category

1990s British Post-Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Leonard Bailey Wooden Block Plane Tool, United States, Early 20th Century
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Leonard Bailey Wooden Block Plane Tool, United States, Early 20th Century.
Category

20th Century American Industrial Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Steel

1970s British Bronze and Chrome AC GMT Co. Industrial Wall Clock White Dial
Located in Leicester, Leicestershire
Rescued from Industrial scrap yards and brought back to life in our UK workshop, our expert process allows us to create a high quality clock of luxury standards. At A.C GMT Co. we ...
Category

1970s English Industrial Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Bronze, Steel, Chrome

Life Size Mannequin Boy with Blue Eyes, circa 1980
Located in Barntrup, DE
Life-size mannequin boy with blue eyes, circa the early 1980s, England, by Adel Rootstein. An expressive life-size boy mannequin with beautifully hand-pa...
Category

1980s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Original Antique Map of Fez and Morocco
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Karte von Fes und Marócos (..)'. Original old map of Fez (or Fes) and Morocco. Also shows the Strait of Gibraltar. By Friedrich Gottlieb Canzler, published 1799.
Category

Late 18th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Vintage Leather Fly Fishing Wallet, Sport Fishing.
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
Vintage Leather Fly Wallet. A good pigskin leather fishing fly and cast wallet with embossed tram line decoration. The brown leather is in original condition. The wallet has two ins...
Category

1920s British Sporting Art Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

MMV Romani, William Klein, 1st Edition, Contrasto, 2005
Located in London, GB
First edition, published by Contrasto, Rome, 2005. Text in English and Italian. This English and Italian language photobook from William Klein sees him revisit the Rome that he im...
Category

Early 2000s Italian Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Sotheby's Art At Auction 1998-1999 Edited by Emma Lawson, 1st Ed
Located in valatie, NY
Sotheby's Art At Auction 1998-1999 Edited by Emma Lawson. Sotheby's Publications London, 1998. 1st Ed hardcover with dust jacket. This annual reference work provides a view of the ye...
Category

1990s English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Pablo Picasso: the Impossible Collection
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Pablo Picasso redefined artwork throughout his extraordinary career, becoming indisputably one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. In this evocative volume, the artist’s granddaughter, Diana Widmaier Picasso, curates the 100 quintessential, unique works that define the evolution of this illustrious artist, creating a stunning compendium of pieces that simply could never all be acquired by a single collector. Casual art lovers know his Cubist work and the Guernica, but Picasso: The Impossible Collection...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Linen

Lalanne: A World of Poetry
Located in NEW YORK, NY
François-Xavier and Claude Lalanne are one of the most creative couples of the last century, celebrated for their surrealist sculptural works. Their pieces are as functional as they are whimsical, whether it’s the belly of a hippopotamus hinging open to reveal a wet bar, tritones fused from unfurled leaves to form a fork, or a tangle of twigs intertwined to form a bench. In celebration of François-Xavier and Claude’s ever-enchanting and whimsical sculptures, this tome, part of Assouline's Ultimate...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Linen

David Bailey Sumo, Signed, Limited Edition Book with Marc Newson Stand
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The David Bailey SUMO. Over 300 of the greatest portraits of our time, printed big and bold. In 1965, portrait and fashion photographer David Bailey released his groundbreaking...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Aluminum

Detailed Antique Map of Western Belgium and Eastern France by Coronelli, 1690
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Contado d'Hannonia (..)'. Map of western Belgium and eastern France, from south of Brussels (not shown) to Cambrai, France, generally centered around the towns of...
Category

17th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Antique Chart of the Friendly Islands or Nowadays Tonga, by Cook, 1784
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique print titled 'Chart of the Friendly Islands'. Antique map of the Friendly Islands depicting Rotterdam or Anamocka, Middelburg or Eaoowe and Amsterdam or Tongatabu. Originates...
Category

18th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

S.T. Dupont Brown Chinese Lacquer Gold Plated Line 1 Pocket Lighter
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Made circa 1970 by S.T. Dupont of France, this large "Line 1" pocket lighter features a gold plate body and vertical pattern on each of the surface's sides, complemented by a red ena...
Category

1970s French Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Gold

Manly P Hall, the Secret Teachings of All Ages, First Edition Book & 4 Prints
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The classic encyclopedia of the arcane in an expanded edition. Renowned philosopher and lecturer Manly P. Hall’s masterful encyclopedia of ancient symbols, hidden rituals, and arcane practices has remained a classic since first published in 1928. Hall’s densely detailed writings explore topics ranging from Hermeticism to Tarot, Egyptian mythology to Pythagorean theory. Each chapter is accompanied by the vivid illustrations of artist J. Augustus Knapp, with additional images by Mihran Serailian found in the companion volume, each taking their own unique approach to nearly 60 artworks depicting occult subject matter. The initial concept for what became known as Hall’s “Great Book”, first began in 1923 when the young Los Angeles-based orator began a months-long trip around the globe. Circumnavigating by ship, Hall visited Egypt, China and India, immersing himself in the philosophical and religious history of each country. Upon his return he spent the next five years penning his massive compendium of philosophy and myth. Nearly a century after its release, this iconic masterwork has been reproduced for the first time from the rare and extravagant original edition. This meticulously-restored version of Hall’s “Great Book” is also accompanied by an expansive companion book, featuring condensed summaries of each chapter of The Secret Teachings, alongside newly-discovered artworks, rare photography...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Foil

Fantastic Worlds of Frank Frazetta. XXL
Located in Los Angeles, CA
All Hail the King of Fantasy Art. Frank Frazetta finally gets the big beautiful book he deserves. Frank Frazetta has reigned as the undisputed lord of...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Fabric, Paper

Fantastic Worlds of Frank Frazetta, Numbered, Limited Edition XXL Book
Located in Los Angeles, CA
All Hail the King of Fantasy Art. Frank Frazetta finally gets the big beautiful book he deserves. Frank Frazetta has reigned as the undisputed lord of...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Aluminum, Foil

Art Deco Traditional Wooden Hand Large Artist Mannequin Scale Model
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A handmade wooden Artist mannequin hand model - all joints move as they should. Found on an Estate sale in Vienna, Austria. Shows some minor wear - but looks beautiful on display! So...
Category

1930s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Hand Colored Antique Map of the Department of L'Yonne, France
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Dept. de l'Yonne'. Map of the French department of L'Yonne, France. L'Yonne is of France's premier Burgundy wine region and produces some of the worlds finest red...
Category

Mid-19th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Hand Colored Antique Map of the Department of L'allier, France
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Dept. De L'Allier'. Map of the French department of l'Allier, France. This area of France is known for its production of Saint-Pourçain wine. It is also one of th...
Category

Mid-19th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Hand Colored Antique Map of the department of Lozere, France
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Dept. de la Lozère'. Map of the French department of Lozere, France. This remote mountainous part of Languedoc is rural, sparcely populated, and extremely beautif...
Category

Mid-19th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Hand Colored Antique Map of the Department of Cher, France
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Dépt. du Cher'. Map of the French department of Cher, France. This area of France is known for its production of Selles Sur Cher, a goats-milk cheese. The whole i...
Category

Mid-19th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Hand Colored Antique Map of the Department of Marne, France
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Dépt. de la Marne'. Map of the French department of Marne, France. This department is home to the Champagne region where the world's finest sparkling wine is prod...
Category

Mid-19th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Hand Colored Antique Map of the Department of Creuse, France
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Dépt. de la Creuse'. Map of the French department of Creuse, France. This region is well known for its apple cider made from Limousin apples and its international...
Category

Mid-19th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Hand Colored Antique Map of the Department of L'ain, France
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Dépt. de l'Ain'. Map of the French department of l'Ain, France. This area of France is known for its Bugey wines, which are generally aromatic and white. It is also known for its fine blue cheese...
Category

Mid-19th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Hand Colored Antique Map of the department of Loiret, France
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Dépt. du Loiret'. Map of the French department of Loiret, France. Surrounding the city of Orleans, Loiret is considered the heart of France and is a registered Unesco World Heritage Site. This area of France is also part of the Loire Valley wine region, and is especially known for its production of Pinot Noirs...
Category

Mid-19th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Hand Colored Antique Map of the Department of Basses-Alpes, France
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Dépt. de l'Aube'. Map of the French department of Basses-Alpes, France. The whole is surrounded by elaborate decorative engravings designed to illustrate both the...
Category

Mid-19th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Hand Colored Antique Map of the Department of Haute Marne, France
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Dépt. de la Hte Marne'. Map of the French department of Haute Marne, France. This department is part of the Champagne region, where the world-famous sparkling win...
Category

Mid-19th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Hand Colored Antique Map of the Department of L'aisne, France
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Dépt. de l'Aisne'. Map of the French department of l'Aisne, France. The whole is surrounded by elaborate decorative engravings designed to illustrate both the nat...
Category

Mid-19th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Hand Colored Antique Map of the department of Ardennes, France
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Dépt. des Ardennes'. Map of the French department of Ardennes, France. Part of France's important Champagne producing region. The whole is surrounded by elaborate...
Category

Mid-19th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Hand Colored Antique Map of the department of Indre and Loire, France
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Dépt. d'Indre et Loire'. Map of the Department de L’Indre et Loire, France. This region is known for its fine wines, agriculture, distilled spirits, and cheese. T...
Category

Mid-19th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Miocene Period Fossilized Sand Dollar or Sea Biscuit Very Large
Located in Point Richmond, CA
This attractive example of a Madagascar fossilized sand dollar is expertly cleaned and polished to retain the endoskeleton (outer shell) preserving excellent definition and details. ...
Category

15th Century and Earlier African Other Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Other

Antique and Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities for Sale

Antique and vintage collectibles and curiosities can bring whimsy and wonder to any interior. 

Decorating with old scientific instruments, historical memorabilia and vintage musical instruments, as well as other authentic collectibles and curiosities that can be found on 1stDibs, presents an opportunity to create a unique, natural history museum-like atmosphere in your home that can provoke conversation as often as it pays tribute to how far we’ve come in understanding our world. 

And bringing collectibles and curiosities into your space is actually on trend — Wunderkammern, or curiosity cabinets, were all the rage in Europe during the 1500s and continued to have adherents there and in the U.S. in the following centuries. Today, however, they’re experiencing a real surge in popularity and influencing how many interior designers are furnishing and decorating homes — combining contemporary with antique, scientific with tribal, earthly with extraterrestrial, Les Lalanne tables with Flemish tapestries.

The original Wunderkammern were entire rooms filled with objects demonstrating their owners’ worldly knowledge: A proper one included artificiala or preciosa (objets d’art); naturalia (such as skeletons, shells, minerals); exotica (taxidermy or dried plants); and scientifica (scientific instruments), frequently alongside religious relics and ancient artifacts.

Pay tribute to a history of rich and diverse musical traditions that have taken shape all over the world by decorating your home with a collection of antique and vintage musical instruments — with a little help from strong hanging wire or some wall hooks, vintage brass instruments such as a gong, French horn or trumpet can help elevate a home office or complement the efforts you’ve made to ensure a welcoming vibe in your home’s entryway. Bells or antique wind instruments can add provocative metallic contrasts to dark woods as tabletop decorative objects.  

Create an intriguing focal point with Georgian scientific instruments, such as stick barometers with mahogany cases or lacquered brass telescopes. These items stem from an era named for the monarchies of the four King Georges, who ruled England in succession starting in 1714 (plus King William’s reign, which lasted until 1837). Just as there was beautiful jewelry produced during the period that today is coveted by collectors, there is much to be found in the collectibles and curiosities realm too.

Wanderlust, nostalgia and a shared love of good design are contributing factors to certain trends in decorating — just as vintage trunks and luggage have reappeared as furniture or home accents in a bedroom or foyer, decorating with globes, maps or nautical objects is similarly rooted in the allure of travel and a penchant for the stylish finishing touch that collectibles bring to our homes.

Find a wide range of antique and vintage collectibles and curiosities on 1stDibs.

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Moroccan Artworks and Objects Take Center Stage in an Extraordinary Villa in Tangier

Italian writer and collector Umberto Pasti opens the doors to his remarkable cave of wonders in North Africa.

Montecito Has Drawn Royalty and Celebrities, and These Homes Are Proof of Its Allure

Hollywood A-listers, ex-pat aristocrats and art collectors and style setters of all stripes appreciate the allure of the coastal California hamlet — much on our minds after recent winter floods.

Whaam! Blam! Pow! — a New Book on Pop Art Packs a Punch

Publishing house Assouline and writer Julie Belcove have teamed up to trace the history of the genre, from Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Yayoi Kusama to Mickalene Thomas and Jeff Koons.

The Sparkling Legacy of Tiffany & Co. Explained, One Jewel at a Time

A gorgeous new book celebrates — and memorializes — the iconic jeweler’s rich heritage.

What Makes a Gem-Encrusted Chess Set Worth $4 Million?

The world’s most opulent chess set, weighing in at 513 carats, is literally fit for a king and queen.

Tauba Auerbach’s Geometric Pop-Up Book Is Mighty Rare, Thanks to a Hurricane

This sculptural art book has an epic backstory of its own.

Step inside the Storied Mansions of Palm Beach’s Most Effervescent Architect

From Spanish-style courtyards to fanciful fountains, these acclaimed structures abound in surprising and elegant details.

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