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Collectibles and Curiosities For Sale
Color:  Brown
Recognized Seller Listings
Bavarian Pharmacy Balance
Located in New Orleans, LA
This amazing and extremely rare Bavarian Biedermeier-period pharmacy balance stand would have been at home at any apothecary’s shop during the mid-19th century. Crafted of walnut with bold giltwood accents, this stand holds eight separate sets of balances with brass beams and pointers, and weighing pans made of Horn, brass and porcelain. The balances measure out varying sizes; the largest is capable of measuring up to 500 grams, while smallest weighs up to 5 grams. Such balances would have been essential tools in the practice of compounding, or creating customized medications to suit a specific patient's needs. The delicate porcelain scales even indicate what they were used to weigh: one set is marked “Jodoform,” or iodoform, a disinfectant and antiseptic once used to treat wounds, and the other is marked “Venena,” which is Latin for “poisons.” Each scale also exhibits stamps indicating that they have been tested for accuracy. It is extremely rare to find such a large array of scales, especially those in such wonderful condition, in one collection. This intriguing piece is a must for any medical antiques enthusiast. The units of measurement in which apothecaries worked were often minute: grains, scruples, drams and ounces. As they were typically used to measure very small amounts of ingredients, apothecary and analytical balances...
Category

19th Century Balkan Biedermeier Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Pair of Brass Trinket Dishes with Silver Greek Coins by Illias Lalaounis
Located in Palm Desert, CA
Pair of vintage brass and sterling silver trinket dishes by Ilias Lalaounis, Greece. A sterling silver Greek coin (replica) is set in the middle of each...
Category

1970s Greek Greek Revival Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver, Brass

18th Century Polish Brass Hanukkah Lamp Modeled after Synagogue Facade
Located in New York, NY
The brass freestanding back-walled Hanukkah lamp consists of eight oil containers, a parapet, back, and sidewalls. Eight triangular spouted oil containers are fastened to the back w...
Category

18th Century Polish Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Prototype Late 19th Century Hand Carved Toy Horse Drawn Hansom Cab, American
Located in Incline Village, NV
This is a hand carved wood prototype for a toy that would have been the model for a 19th century cast iron or tin horse drawn hansom cab. It precedes the mol...
Category

1890s American Folk Art Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

19th Century Exhibition Model of Expanding Table by Samuel Hawkins
Located in New Orleans, LA
A masterpiece of both cabinetmaking and mechanical engineering, this one-of-a-kind expanding table was crafted by the renowned cabinetmaker Samuel Hawkins of London for the Great Exhibition of 1851. Diminutive in size, the fascinating table was designed as a model to demonstrate Hawkins’ innovative patent screw movement to visitors of the Exhibition – six million people in total over five months. It was exhibited again a century later at the Victoria & Albert Museum during the Festival of Britain, an event intended “to symbolise two main qualities of the national character: realism and strength on the one hand, and, on the other, independence and imagination” (Catalogue of the Exhibition, 1951, p.117). To this day, the miniature masterpiece demonstrates the quest of English furniture makers to combine technical innovation with superb craftsmanship. Displaying exceptional ingenuity, Hawkins’ wind-out screw mechanism allowed one to extend the table’s base to accommodate concentric leaves with the simple crank of a handle. It is based on the inventive expanding table originally designed by Robert Jupe in 1835, which used a swivel mechanism to separate sections of the tabletop and allow for segmented leaves to be inserted. Hawkins’ tabletop, on the other hand, extends outwards directly from the center in order to accommodate additional leaves around its diameter. This unique design allowed the mechanism to also smoothly operate on rectangular tables, which could be wound out from the middle to allow for more table space. Hawkins was not alone in his endeavor to combine the technical merits of engineering and mechanics with the most artful pursuit of cabinetmaking. The first half of the 19th century saw a prolific increase in the popularity of applying new ideas to traditional furniture principles, which allowed furniture to serve many purposes. The resulting “patent” furniture was practical and refined, though few were as innovative as Hawkins’ prodigious design. Carved with the year of the Exhibition on the beautifully designed pedestal base, the table is a testament to the significance of this innovation. The model is mentioned in detail in the catalog of the Great Exhibition of 1851, the first international exhibition of industry, manufacturing, and science. Held at London’s dazzling Crystal Palace, its visitors were treated to exhibits from around the globe, including feats of engineering, innovations in industry, and marvels of design. Queen Victoria herself was a frequent visitor, along with her husband, Prince Albert, and others including Charlotte...
Category

19th Century English Other Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Mahogany

Shipbuilders Half Block Model of the Steamship Dunbrody
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
Finely detailed shipbuilder's half block model of the steamship Dunbrody, built and engined by The London and Glasgow Engineering and Iron Shipbuilding Co. ...
Category

1890s English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Mahogany

Framed Floral Bouquet Crafted from Gold and Semi-Precious Stones by Tolliday
Located in London, GB
This magnificent study of flowers is wrought from gold and silver, amethyst and other minerals, and natural pearls. The study features sprigs of Holly with mineral berries and gold leaves springing from a green stone crop of rock. Grasses, also wrought from gold, spring from the same crop of rock, and the floor is littered with litter and debris, including an exquisitely produced pinecone. The flowers are set above a brown backing and surrounded by a red mount within a gilt frame. The work is signed ‘William Tolliday...
Category

Late 20th Century English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Amethyst, Gold, Silver

Dining Table Made from a 19th Century Ship's Steering Wheel
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A dining table made from a 19th century ship's steering wheel, upon an antique binnacle with bronze feet, English, circa 1850. With a modern glass top.
Category

1850s English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

18th Century Polish Brass Hanukkah Lamp Menorah
Located in New York, NY
The backplate is cast and featuring two birds in the center surrounded by open scrollwork. The side panels fitted with two servant lights, fronted by a row of eight oil fonts. Schola...
Category

18th Century Polish Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Micromosaic and Pietre Dure Grand Tour Casket
Located in New Orleans, LA
The time-honored decorative techniques of pietre dure and micromosaic are combined in this rare and exceptionally-crafted Grand Tour casket. Serving as a m...
Category

19th Century European Greco Roman Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Stone, Bronze

Fine Pair of 19th Century English Barrel Bronze Cannon on Oak Carriages
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
Fine pair of mid-19th century English bronze cannon with tapering 41" barrels and flared muzzles, the top of each breech engraved with the family crest o...
Category

1850s English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Bronze

18th Century Wooden Torah Pointer from Alsace
Located in New York, NY
Rare Alsace carved wooden Torah Pointer (YAD), 18th century. The body of the pointer is engraved in its first part with a decoration of palmettes and stripes. It then continues with...
Category

Early 18th Century German Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Walnut

Early 20th Century Austrian Wooden Charity Box
Located in New York, NY
Judaica Charity box, made in Austria, circa 1920. Printed with a scene of the Western Wall, inscribed in Hebrew “Land of Israel / Western Wall / Rabbi Meir...
Category

Early 20th Century Austrian Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Uncle Sam Still Bank 'Composition, ' circa 1940
Located in Incline Village, NV
American manufacture; this colorful hand-painted still bank depicting Uncle Sam is all original with no repairs and no repaint. Fabulous crazing throughout indicative of original pai...
Category

1940s American Folk Art Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Composition

Regiment Des Dromedaires Camel Saddle
Located in New Orleans, LA
This fascinating piece of military history is a camel saddle created for and used by the Dromedary Regiment (Regiment des Dromedaires) during Napoleon’s Egyptian campaigns between 1798-1801. The term “dromedary” refers to the dromedary camel...
Category

Late 18th Century French Empire Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver, Brass, Iron

17th Century Lantern Alarm Clock by Johannes Quelch, Oxford
Located in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
An English 17th century lantern clock made of brass and iron, circa 1665-1670. The clock consists of going and striking trains, as well as a...
Category

17th Century British Baroque Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Vintage 1966 Sterling Silver Soldier Presentation Trophy
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
A fine vintage Elizabeth II English cast sterling silver presentation trophy on oakwood plinth in the form of a Victorian soldier; an addition to our military related silverware collection. This fine vintage Elizabeth II English cast sterling silver trophy has been realistically modelled in the form of a crouching soldier holding a musket. The model is embellished with impressive cast details reproducing the fine details of the soldier's Victorian attire, including a dagger and ammo pouch to his belt. The sterling silver soldier is displayed on the original oak wood presentation plinth. The cuboid plinth is fitted with a vacant silver inscription band; the band may be engraved with a personal inscription if so desired. This fine presentation silver...
Category

1960s English Other Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver, Sterling Silver

Ancient Hellenistic Glass Finger Ring
Located in London, GB
This beautifully preserved ring was cast from light green transparent glass. Its large size and shape are typical of Hellenistic finger rings, and its now ...
Category

15th Century and Earlier Classical Greek Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Glass

Audrey Werner, Pre-Raphaelite Sterling Silver and Garnet Bracelet, US, 1994
Located in New York, NY
Seamlessly mixing influences from around the world, Werner works with oft-overlooked materials--including her signature black iron--to create bold pieces of striking beauty. "I am am...
Category

1990s American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Sterling Silver, Steel

Early 20th Century Indian Brass Synagogue Lamp
Located in New York, NY
Zhumbar - large brass lamp for festive occasions. India, early 20th century. Central hoop, with a dozen curved arms (with hoops at their end) - six turning upwards and six downwards. Four rods for suspension. Such lamps served the "Bene Israel" congregation that lived mainly in Bombay, Calcutta and other towns in western India. "Oil chandeliers with thirteen arms, known as Zhumbar, were used in the synagogue on festive occasions" Literature: Orpa Slapak (Editor), "The Jews of India - Bene Israel, Cochin...
Category

Early 20th Century Indian Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Audrey Werner, Brass Hoop Earrings, United States, 2001
Located in New York, NY
Seamlessly mixing influences from around the world, Werner works with oft-overlooked materials--including her signature black iron--to create bold pieces of striking beauty. "I am am...
Category

Early 2000s American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Coral, Brass

Pair of English Gothic Revival Gilt Wall Plaques
Located in New York, NY
Pair of English Gothic Revival style (19th Cent) painted and gilt trimmed wall plaques with religious scene in arched top upholstered frame.
Category

19th Century Gothic Revival Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

19th Century Hungarian Synagogue Iron Charity Container
Located in New York, NY
Large handmade iron charity container, Hungary, circa 1850. The iron tzedakah box was installed within the wall at the Hungarian Synagogue. On the fr...
Category

Mid-19th Century Hungarian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Iron

Wood Foundry Mold, Italy, 1980s
Located in Milan, IT
Marvelous wood foundry mold. Small scale architectural attitude piece also available in different landscapes.
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Portable Copying Machine by James Watt & Co.
By James Watt
Located in New Orleans, LA
Considered the first step into the world of modern photocopying, the copying machine was among the first widely used devices to successfully produce an ex...
Category

18th Century English Other Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Mahogany

19th Century Siberian Eskimo Pipe, Alaska
Located in New York, NY
Siberian Eskimo people were introduced to tobacco in the 17th century, acquiring it from European traders in exchange for furs. Pipes based on European models, such as this example, ...
Category

19th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood, Leather, Hide

Hand Painted Circus Banner of Armless Wonder
By Snap Wyatt
Located in New York, NY
American painted vertical double circus side show banner of Armless Wonder and Jose de Lyon (signed: SNAP WYATT, Tampa, FL).
Category

Early 20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities

Charles Dixon R.A. for King George V, Royal Yacht Britannia
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
This ‘en grisaille’ watercolour on paper is Charles Dixon’s preparatory sketch for a proposed but apparently uncompleted painting of the royal racing yacht Britannia...
Category

1930s English Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Rare 19th Century Nautical Desk Set with Historic Monogram
Located in London, GB
A rare nautical desk set The lockable oak felt-lined case, embossed with the initials 'AL' of the original owner, houses twelve writing implements and accessories, constructed in silver plate and gilt metal, using spheres and chain work decoration. A bespoke commission of undoubtedly unique character-and most likely having nautical connections-the various accoutrements executed in a uniform style reminiscent of rope work, buoys, and markers found on seafaring vessels. The set includes a pair of candlesticks, a chamber stick, inkwell, bell, letter opener, personal wax seal, a stamp container, paperweight, ash tray, sealing wax spoon...
Category

Late 19th Century English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver Plate, Metal

American Country Painted and Carved Wooden Rocking Horse
Located in New York, NY
American Country (20th Century) carved and painted double sided rocking horse.
Category

20th Century American Country Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paint, Wood

Audrey Werner, Sterling Silver & Bloodstone Hinged Bracelet, United States, 1993
Located in New York, NY
Seamlessly mixing influences from around the world, Werner works with oft-overlooked materials, including her signature black iron, to create bold pieces of striking beauty. "I am am...
Category

1990s North American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Sterling Silver

Early 19th Century Polish Brass Hanukkah Lamp Menorah
Located in New York, NY
Brass Hanukkah lamp Menorah, Poland, circa 1810. Cast in Bench form, on four feet. The backplate is cast and pierced featuring scrollwork. This lamp was made by the technique known as "sand casting". This process begins with a wooden mold that was carved out to create negative space, which in turn is used to make the inverse form or shape to be used for the casting of metal. The mold is pressed into fine sand mixed with clay, then removed, and molten brass poured into the impression. When a mold wears out, a casting from that mold is often used as the mold for the next generation. Those later lamps...
Category

Early 19th Century Polish Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Vacheron Constantin Chronometer
Located in New Orleans, LA
This exceptionally rare and important precision chronometer, or deck watch, was crafted by the famed Vacheron Constantin. One of the most accurate instrumen...
Category

20th Century Swiss Other Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Mahogany

Late 19th Century North-African Silver Torah Pointer
Located in New York, NY
Handmade gilt silver Torah pointer (Yad), probably Morocco, circa 1880. Engraved in Hebrew: "For the soul of the virgin Tova daughter of Erza Asher. Every item in Menorah Galleries...
Category

Late 19th Century African Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver

Turn of the Century French Art Nouveau Gilt Bronze Ashtray by Marionnet
Located in New York, NY
French Art Nouveau gilt bronze ashtray with a floral design and a fluted edge (signed: MARIONNET).
Category

Late 19th Century French Art Nouveau Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Ormolu

Wood Foundry Mold, Italy, 1980s
Located in Milan, IT
Marvellous wood foundry mold. Small scale architectural attitude piece also available in different landscapes.
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Antique Greek Orthodox carved wood and silver cross
Located in London, GB
Antique Greek Orthodox carved wood and silver cross Greek, 18th Century Height 18.5cm, width 8.5cm, depth 6.5cm This superb piece is a Greek Orthodox cross...
Category

18th Century Greek Gothic Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Coral, Silver

Teckell T1.1 Crystal 8-foot Pool Table in Black by Marc Sadler
Located in Brooklyn, NY
T1.1 Black pool table with black trim lures in both design aficionados and top players. The light dances across its handcrafted glass surfaces and glimmers when it strikes the black aluminum rails. The tempered glass playing field is at least 9/16” thick. A precise leveling system utilizing 12 screws is hidden inside the table’s black, solid oak base. Available in different options: Light Bronze structure DIMENSIONS: D. 58.26", W. 102.36", H. 32.28" WEIGHT: 727.52 lbs It features legs made of clear tempered crystal at least 0.59" th. with double-bevel edges that self-stabilize, a support made of solid wood hollowed out for the insertion of the glass, hiding a perfect system of regulation and a playing field made of a single sheet of tempered crystal at least 0.59" th. Simonis 860 worsted wool playing surface available in 25 colors. For the perfect game of style, Teckell pool tables’ surfaces are also available with Redaelli Velluti made in Italy cloths. Bases are in solid oak which has been ebonized (a reaction that turns black the open pore wood) with a shiny stainless steel structure. The pockets are made of smoked transparent thermoplastic. Solid aluminum rails with black anodized finish. Accessories included with the pool table: four professional and stylish cues, one set of Pool Balls Aramith and one rack. Cue rack and ceiling lamp are also available on request. Indoor use only. "T1" is the product of an encounter between an entrepreneur and a designer, a project that becomes a reality thanks to the savoir faire of a group of Italian companies highly specialized in making individual components: glass, steel, wood, but also special high-tech polymers for the pockets and the bumpers. A great team effort at the service of an original and elegant idea that puts together imagination, entrepreneurial brilliance, technology and ability, in order to reveal and give life to a unique object. "T1" pool table is available in an eight feet version, ideal for modern homes’ living spaces. The crystal in the T1 pool table now glows with light, its exquisite transparency accentuated. Studio Sadler researched and designed a unique LED lighting system, captivating crystal’s beauty shines. Teckell’s pool tables are a synthesis of innovation and tradition, art and design, technology and craftsmanship. These one-of-a-kind objects are the result of thinking way outside the box and maximizing the capacity of materials. MARC SADLER, French citizen born in Austria, currently lives in Milan. Experimentation with plastics has often formed a key part of his activity. He already showed a strong curiosity for the subject choosing it for his thesis at ENSAD in Paris. Citizen of the world (he has lived and worked for many years in Europe, North America and Asia), he is a consultant for companies in the fields of home furnishings, large and small household appliances, lighting, technically advanced products, and sports. At the beginning of the seventies, he perfect the first ski-boot in thermo plastic material completely recyclable, subsequently commercialized by the Italian firm Caber (later known as Lotto). He quickly gains the responsibility of the entire collections and starts a long and fruitful collaboration which led to the patenting of the ski-boot with a symmetric shell, which was for many years the most widely-sold ski-boot in the world. This is the origin of his specialization as a sports designer, which led him to close collaboration with the most important multinational sport companies in the United States, Asia and Europe, both in the sport shoes...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Crystal, Stainless Steel, Aluminum

Louis XVI Serinette in the Form of a Miniature Commode by Richard, Paris, 1775
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A very rare Louis XVI period serinette or bird organ in the form of a transitional style gilt bronze mounted and marquetry inlaid miniature commode in the manner of gilbert, by Robert Richard, Paris. With a label for ' RICHARD - maitre facteur d’orgues et mécanicien / Rue de richelieu à la bibliothèque Du Roy / Paris 1775'. This rare Serinette or Bird Organ has a wooden cylinder barrel mounted by twelve pins and linked to twelve sound pipes. A crank attached to the front panel controls the bellows that activates the mechanism. The exceptional marquetry inlaid case is in the form of a gilt bronze mounted transitional style miniature commode. The top of the commode is inlaid with a landscape scene with buildings, opening to an interior with an allegory of Love Conquering All, represented by two doves perching on a bow and quiver. The front of the commode depicts two obelisks centred by a Fine musical trophy and each side is inlaid with panels depicting the Medici Vase. The back of the commode is decorated with floral marquetry. A closely related Serinette dating from circa 1770, also in the form of a miniature commode, with the marquetry case stamped by the master marqueteur Leonard Boudin, is in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. The term serinette is derived from serine, French for finch. The instrument worked like a small barrel organ with a barbed cylinder, wind box and lead pipes and produced a high, thin sound in imitation of birds. Other versions included a merline, which copied blackbirds and a turlutaine, which copied curlews. Used to teach caged birds to sing tunes, different barrels could be inserted to train different birds. It first appeared in France circa 1730 and became a popular drawing-room toy for fashionable women. An interesting painting commissioned in 1751 for Louis XV by Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin and now in the collection of the Louvre, depicts a refined lady seated in her salon playing a bird organ to encourage her bird to sing. Robert Richard Robert Richard was a Parisian organ and harpsichord maker and the mécanicien du roi to Louis XV and Louis XVI and was based in the Bibliothèque du Roi in rue de Richelieu. Initially working alongside the Cliquot family who acted as 'facteur d'orgue du Roi', he is recorded as building an organ for the church of Notre-Dame de Quebec, in Montreal in 1753 (destroyed in 1759) and as the inventor of a mechanical concert shown in an engraving by d'Eisen in 1769. Canon Jean Marie De La Corne described Robert Richard as : ''Le plus habile ouvrier de paris, fameux mechanitien et Homme de probité''. French, Dated 1775. Literature: Pierre Kjellberg, The French Furniture of the 17th century, The Editions of the Amateur, 2008 Count Francois de Salverte, Cabinetmakers of the 18th century, Editions of Art and History, 1934 Raymond Russell, Victoria and Albert Museum Catalogue of Musical Instruments, Volume I - Keyboard Instruments,(London, 1968; p. 69.) Elizabeth Miller...
Category

Mid-18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

19th Century Greek Brass Hanukkah Lamp Menorah
Located in New York, NY
Brass Hanukkah Lamp, Salonika, Greece, 19th century. Openwork backplate with scrolled branches; three stylized flowers support central triangular c...
Category

Mid-19th Century Greek Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Victorian Model of a Racing Yacht on a Wooden Stand Original Paint
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
Victorian model of a racing yacht, with brass fittings, on a wooden stand original paint topsides English, circa 1870.
Category

1870s English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

"Lady and Baby by The Wishing Well" Still Bank, German, circa 1910
Located in Incline Village, NV
Very interesting wooden still bank with lots going on. All hand-carved of wood with four small circular risers elevating the base. There is a water pump with a bucket hanging from it and a metal pumper attached to the top. A hand-carved and painted brown pine tree is attached at the opposite corner with a large water well to the other corner. A lady with outstretched arms and a "King Cole" type headdress seems to be reaching out to her baby dressed in green who is lying down on top of the well, next to the coin slot. Perhaps she is about to bathe her. A bird looks on from atop the perch protruding from the pump. Dominant hand painted colors are different shades of brown and all original with no repaint. Very nice all original paint and condition with a small chip missing here and there to this handmade, kind of "folksy", and very well done bank (see images). A round circular key lock trap for releasing the coins is on the underneath, along with "Wishing Well German" handwritten on the opposite corner (see image). Whether written by an earlier collector or maker is not known. Dimensions: 4" square x 3 5/8" high. A unique one of a kind piece to add to a collection of still banks and a nice addition to a Folk Art collection (from my own collection). I am a leading specialist in the field of antique coin...
Category

1910s German Folk Art Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Gendron Wheel Company American Victorian Iron Tricycle
By Gendron Wheel Co.
Located in New York, NY
American Victorian iron tricycle with a carriage seat (tag: GENDRON WHEEL CO., TOLEDO, OH)
Category

19th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Iron

18th Century Polish Brass Hanukkah Lamp
Located in New York, NY
The backplate is cast and pierced with a central two-handled vase of flowers, flanked by fully formed birds with their heads turned outward. The side panels fitted with two servant lights, fronted by a row of eight oil fonts. Scholars theorize that these Polish Chanukah Lamps that bear two servant lights (as opposed to the singular servant light normally found on a Chanukah Lamp), served a purpose, having been used on one of the days that Chanukah fell on the Sabbath, as Sabbath Candlesticks. For another example, see page 296 of the book “Five Centuries of Hanukkah Lamps...
Category

Mid-18th Century Polish Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Sculptural Meander Necklace by Jacques Jarrige, 2014
Located in New York, NY
From the first collection of jewelry by Parisian artist designer Jacques Jarrige this magnificent necklace is hand-sculpted in brass, hand-hammered and gold plated with three microns...
Category

2010s French Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Pair of Marquess of Clanricarde De Burgh-Canning Carriage Badges
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A Pair of Marquess of Clanricarde de Burgh-Canning carriage badges, each gilt metal armorial designed as the coat of arms de Burgh-Canning for Ullick John de ...
Category

1850s English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

NECKLACE by Jacques Jarrige Gold Plated and Hand-Hammered "Isadora"
Located in New York, NY
Bracelet by Jacques Jarrige gold plated and hand-hammered. From the French sculptor's first jewelry collection that premiered at Loot 15, Museum of Art a...
Category

2010s French Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Gold Plate

Early 19th Century Eastern European Brass Washing Hands Container Cover
Located in New York, NY
Framed Polish/ Ukraine brass washing hand container cover, 1823. Hammered brass with an engraving of two lions flaking at bird-headed cartouche. Engraved in Hebrew inside the cartouc...
Category

1820s Polish Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Rare Victorian Mid-19th Century Gothic Revival Library Architects Plan Chest
Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE
A neo-gothic mid-19th century library plan chest having an arrangement of eleven short and three long drawers to one side, the other side with three short drawers above gothic style linen fold panelling, centred with the carved monogram ‘HP’, further matching panelling to the sides. A stunning plan chest of good propartions and with a nice patina. Provenance: Sherborne School, an independent school in north-west Dorset, England, established in 1550. Among the ‘Old Shirburnians’ are for example the writer John Cowper Powys, the actors Jeremy Irons und Charlie Cox, Chris Martin, leadsinger of the band Coldplay as well as Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani...
Category

Mid-19th Century English Gothic Revival Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Oak

Unusual Art Deco Sterling Silver-Mounted Royal Doulton Pottery Match Striker
Located in New York, NY
Unusual, Art Deco, sterling silver-mounted Royal Doulton pottery match striker, Birmingham, England, 1927, J. Grinsell & Sons - silversmiths. Removable match "cup." Three large openings on sides of Royal Doulton striker for ashes, used matches...
Category

1920s English Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Sterling Silver

Medieval Egyptian Mamluk Brass Tray Stand with Silver Inlay
Located in London, GB
This exceptionally beautiful and rare silver-inlaid brass tray stand dates from the medieval period, when the Mamluks ruled Egypt and Syria (1250-1517). The Mamluks originated as sla...
Category

15th Century and Earlier Egyptian Islamic Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass, Silver

Hupfeld Phonoliszt-Violina Model B Music Cabinet
Located in New Orleans, LA
This incredible Hupfeld Phonoliszt-Violina Model B music cabinet is among the rarest and most advanced automatic music players of its time. The remarkable machine, crafted by renowned Leipzig firm of Ludwig Hupfeld, is one of the most mechanically complex music players ever made, boasting three self-playing violins accompanied by a self-playing piano. Once made in the 1000s to entertain patrons of upscale hotels, restaurants, and cafes, these extraordinary machines...
Category

20th Century German Other Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Half Block Model of the Steam Ship ‘Glamis Castle’
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A half block model of the steam ship ‘Glamis Castle’, the ship shown with two truncated masts, a funnel and a boxwood hull with the original painted black t...
Category

1870s Scottish Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Maple, Walnut

19th Century Chilean Huaso Stirrups
Located in New Orleans, LA
This striking and rare pair of Chilean wooden stirrups are true gems. Also known as estribos, these stirrups are carved from a solid block of wood. Tak...
Category

19th Century Chilean Other Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver, Steel

Auction Catalogues
Located in Bridgewater, CT
For sale about 500 auction catalogues from 1980s to present, about Art Nouveau, Art Deco, 20th century decorative arts. Auction houses: Sotheby's, ...
Category

Late 20th Century French Art Deco Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

1900s Bowling Ball Collection
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A vintage black patina waste basket well-formed of solid steel wire and woven in a diamond pattern. Filled with 12 lignum vitae bowling balls. Manufactured in the 1920s.
Category

Early 20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Antique Russian Icon of Christ in Silver Gilt and Cloisonne Enamel
Located in London, GB
This extremely fine Russian icon shows the image of Christ Pantocrator, which translates roughly as 'Christ the Almighty'. It's one of the most important images of Christ within Orthodox Christianity...
Category

19th Century Russian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver, Enamel

American Country Wooden Train Coach Model
Located in New York, NY
American Country style (20th Cent) painted wood model of DeWitt Clinton train coach with doll figures (see #037074-companion piece, Stephenson's R...
Category

20th Century American Country Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

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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