Collectibles and Curiosities
Collectibles and Curiosities For Sale
Color: Purple
Pair Art Deco Blue and Gold Glass Enamel Buckles
Located in New York, NY
Pair Art Deco Blue and Gold Glass Enamel Buckles. Brilliant cobalt blue glass sweater clips/ shoe buckles/ decorative belt buckle clasps with gold enamel framed panels within faux s...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Art Glass
Artist Edition Limited Edition Surf Board by Graham Gillmore for Beau Lake
By BeauLake
Located in Rhinebeck, NY
Limited Edition Surf Board designed by renowned artist Graham Gillmore.
In 2023 Beau Lake, the creator of the world's most beautiful paddle boards, collabo...
Category
2010s Canadian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Foam, Paint, Acrylic
Georgia O'Keeffe 'Art and Letters' Book
Located in Bradenton, FL
Georgia O'Keeffe: Art and Letters by Jack Cowart and Juan Hamilton. Published by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1989. Softcover. 1st edition. Published in conjunction with ...
Category
1980s Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Chess Set Gemstone Lapis Lazuli and Marble 8"
Located in Somis, CA
An elegant gemstone lapis and marble chess set, demonstrating traditional craftsmanship and wonderful artistry. The chessboard of solid marble base, showcases a classic design with h...
Category
2010s Italian Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Lapis Lazuli, Carrara Marble, Serpentine
$475 Sale Price
36% Off
Timeless Modern Interiors: RRP / Rees Roberts + Partners
Located in New York, NY
Author Pilar Viladas, Preface by Lucien Rees-Roberts
The first book to feature the interior design of the stylish, award-winning firm RRP / Rees Roberts + Partners, led by Interior ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
The Secret Powers of Animals
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful, informative, and interactive introduction to 10 of the world’s most amazing animals and their ‘secret powers’
This dazzling non-fiction board book invites curious child...
Category
2010s Chinese Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Papercord, Paper
$15 / item
Lapis Lazuli Horse Knight
Located in Somis, CA
A beautiful hand carved horse bust in grade AAA natural lapis lazuli. The horse with robust neck and windswept mane, mouth slightly open and large alert eyes. Lapis of beautiful coba...
Category
20th Century Afghan Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Lapis Lazuli
$180 Sale Price
29% Off
Ralph Lauren's Polo Shirt
Located in New York, NY
Introduction by Ralph Lauren, Foreword by Ken Burns, Afterword by David Lauren
Embodying a chic casualness that is uniquely American, the Polo shirt is a cultural symbol, worn by everyone from movie stars and presidents to athletes and artists.
The Polo shirt is to Ralph Lauren what Mickey Mous...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
$37 / item
"Art =" Book
Located in New York, NY
A fresh and unconventional approach to exploring 6,000 years of art history through 800 masterpieces from The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Featuring more than 800 artworks from the ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
$75 / item
The Bookplates & Marks of Rockwell Kent; With a preface by the Artist, SIGNED
Located in Middletown, NY
New York: Random House, 1929.
FIRST LIMITED EDITION / SIGNED
Small 8vo, 7 1/4 x5 inches (180 x128 mm), 80 pp. Printed on special Japan paper, each sheet French-folded. Blue cloth bi...
Category
Early 20th Century American Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
An 18K Gold and Gem Set Bust of a King, by George Weil London
Located in Queens, NY
An 18K Gold and Gem Set Bust of a King, by George Weil London, circa 1970
This magnificent 18K gold and gem-set bust of a king, crafted by George Weil in London, stands as an embodi...
Category
20th Century British Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Lapis Lazuli, Gold
Exotic - A Fetish for the Foreign
Located in New York, NY
A fascinating survey of the enduring human love affair with the exotic and the strange in art, architecture and design, and its impact on Western culture
Exotic explores our obsessio...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
$60 / item
Sparton Model 557 "Sled" Radio by Walter Dorwin Teague
By Sparton, Walter Dorwin Teague
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Sparton model 557 radio designed by Walter Dorwin Teague for the Sparks-Worthington Company in Jackson, Michigan during 1936. The radio, known as the "sled" or "3-knob" is considered...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Chrome
$3,575 Sale Price
44% Off
The Only Woman
By Phaidon
Located in New York, NY
A compelling gallery of women who made their way into a man's world, shown through group portraits, each featuring a lone woman
An original approach to gender equality, this strik...
Category
2010s Chinese Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Jean Royere Exhibition May-July 1999 (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
A scarce hard backed catalogue with dust jacket which was produced by the Galerie Jacques Lacoste for an exhibition held in May, June and July ...
Category
20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Princess Diana Memorabilia. Set of Stamps of Diana. 1998
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
A rare set of stamps celebrating Princess Diana 1961 - 1997
Issued by Royal Mail 1998
The unusual thing about this set is that they haven't been " stamped "
Unused. near mint con...
Category
1990s English Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
1950s Taxco Silver Amethyst Gemstone Beaded Necklace
By Taxco
Located in Chula Vista, CA
1950s Healing Amethyst Beaded Chip Necklace Center Silver Gemstone Pendant Taxco
gemstones on rear clasp
Modernist design
stamped
17.88 long x pendant .88 w. 1.13 h x .38 d
Preowned ...
Category
1950s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Amethyst, Sterling Silver
Two Extra Small Dutch Delft Tobacco Jars: no 5 & 6, 18th Century
By De Klaauw
Located in AMSTERDAM, NH
Origin: Delft
Date: Second half of the 18th century
Workshop: De Porceleyne Claauw
A genuine set of two blue and white tobacco jars for the storage of snuff tobacco.
The jars are ...
Category
1760s Dutch Rococo Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Ceramic, Delft, Faience
Victory Through Air Power By Major Alexander P. De Seversky, Signed, 1942
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Seversky, Alexander. Victory Through Air Power. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1942. First Edition. Signed and inscribed. In the publisher’s original unclipped dust jacket and boards....
Category
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Antique Book, Bones and I, Whyte-Melville, English, Novel, Victorian, Circa 1880
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique book, Bones & I by George Whyte-Melville. An English language, bound novel, dating to the late Victorian period, circa 1880.
First published in 1868, Bones & I is a humorous novel written about a man - Jack Raggles - who gains possession of a human skeleton. Written by George Whyte-Melville (1821 - 1878), the book is a comedic and macabre blend of satire and class division.
Nicely presented example of this unusual title
Displays a desirable aged patina, lightly time-worn but intact
Bound with cloth over board in navy blue with gold...
Category
Late 19th Century British Late Victorian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Original Sail Plan Blueprint for the 260 Class Yacht, by George Lawley
Located in Norwell, MA
George Lawley 260 Class blueprint. Rich blue plan showing mast and sail dimensions. This is a double ended design by C. Raymond Hunt. This plan is for a thirty one foot yacht and was...
Category
1940s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
CONDUCTOR'S BATON 1893 Antique Ebony Wood And .925 Sterling Silver In Case
Located in Miami, FL
Conductor's baton from the Victorian period.
This is a very interesting and elusive antique director's baton created in Devonshire England during the Victorian period, back in 1890....
Category
19th Century English Late Victorian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Sterling Silver, Silver
Framed Dutch Delft Tile Large Picture of A Fleet of Ships
Located in Downingtown, PA
Dutch Delft Tile Large Picture of A Fleet of Ships,
19th Century
The Framed Twenty blue & white Dutch Delft tin-glazed earthenware picture depicts ...
Category
Late 19th Century Dutch Other Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Delft
Property from the Collection of Mrs. Paul Mellon (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
Set of 4 Sotheby's catalogues.
Vol. I Masterworks New York 10th November 2014. 256 pages.
Vol. II Jewels & Objects of Vertu 20th -21st November 2014. 256 pages.
Vol. III Interiors (s...
Category
20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Alfred Dunhill Sterling Silver Cigarette Case, circa 1930
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Sterling silver cigarette case with decorative enamel face. Art Deco design.
The case is beautifully enameled in a blue and black geometric pattern with a silver finish. The interior of the cigarette case is marked "Alfred Dunhill Paris...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Silver
$2,150 Sale Price
36% Off
In the American West, Richard Avendon, 1985, Signed
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Author: Text by Laura Wilson
Book: Commissioned in 1978 by the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, this series of photographs is...
Category
1980s Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
The Photographic History of the Civil War in Ten Volumes, by Francis T. Miller
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Miller, Francis Trevelyan (editor). The Photographic History of the Civil War in Ten Volumes. New York: The Review of Reviews Co., 1912. Quarto, ten volume set, in original blue cloth gilt bindings. Illustrated with thousands of photographs, plus maps.
This is an important 10-volume photographic history of the Civil War, edited by Francis Trevelyan Miller. The set was first published in 1911, the 50 year anniversary of the start of the Civil War. This 1912 edition contains “thousands of scenes photographed 1861-65, with text by many special authorities.”
This mammoth work contains written contributions from over 39 academics, writers, veteran officers of both Union and Confederate forces, and President William H. Taft. A number of the photographs are from the collections of private individuals, as well as the extensive Eldridge Collection of Mathew Brady Civil War photographs...
Category
1910s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Fabric, Paper
The Art and Design of Dale J. Evers Hardcover by Bill Morem
Located in North Hollywood, CA
The Art and Design of Dale J. Evers Hardcover by Bill Morem.
Inscribed "to Karl and Kathy All the Best Dale".
Dale Evers is a cutting edge American artist. ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Organic Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Vintage Southern California Telephone Company Badge
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Vintage enamel Bell shaped Southern CA Telephone Co badge with employee number 649 labeled along the top.
Hallmarked Stamped "Patrick SF" along the back.
Measures 2.25" top to bott...
Category
Early 20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Metal, Enamel
$217 Sale Price
44% Off
Royal Air Force P10 Aircraft Compass No. 10489 T
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
A Royal Air Force P10 aircraft compass No. 10489 T
The compass has a brass body finished in black, it comes in its battleship grey painted wooden ...
Category
1930s British Colonial Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass
T. Y. Chao Private & Family Trust Collections of Important Chinese Ceramic, Rare
Located in valatie, NY
Sotheby's: The T. Y. Chao Private and Family Trust Collections of Important Chinese Ceramics and Jade Carvings: Part 1, Hong Kong October 1986. Rare First Edition hardcover with dust...
Category
1980s Hong Kong Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Le Regard D'Alan
Located in New York, NY
Hardcover catalog of an auction held on 6 October 1991 at Binoche et Godeau dispersing the collection of Alan Grizot (b. 1945), legendary gallerist and pioneering promoter and marke...
Category
1990s North American Mid-Century Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
$475
The Artist Project What Artists See When They Look at Art by MET Museum 1st Ed
Located in valatie, NY
The Artist Project: What Artists See When They Look at Art by Metropolitan Museum of Art. Publisher Phaidon Press, 2017. 1st Ed hardcover. Artists have long been stimulated and motiv...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Ceramic Ashtray by Franco Bucci for Laboratorio Pesaro, Italy, 1970s
Located in Rome, IT
Blue violet ceramic ashtray made in Italy in the 1970s by the Italian designer Franco Bucci for Laboratorio Pesaro.
The original label is still attac...
Category
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Ceramic
Monet, or the Triumph of Impressionism Catalog Raisonné, 4-Volume Set
Located in valatie, NY
Monet, or the Triumph of impressionism: Catalog Raisonné, 4-Volume Set by Daniel Wildenstein. Köln: Benedikt Taschen Verlag GmbH, 1996. Slipcased 1st ...
Category
1990s German Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Vintage XXIV Olympic Games 1988 Seoul Korea Snapback Cap Hat with 24 Pins
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Original vintage South Korean Cap Hat for the 24th Summer Olympic Games (Games of the XXIV Olympiad) in 1988 held in South Korea, with 24 Pins of different countries and sports.
Some...
Category
1980s Russian Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Metal
Original Yacht Blueprint for the Q Class Sloop "Tartar"
Located in Norwell, MA
John G. Alden hull lines drawing of the Q class sloop "Tartar." Tartar was built by George Lawley and Son at Neponset, Mass., in 1928 for George McQuesten, a lumber merchant. The pla...
Category
1920s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Matthew Boulton Master Silversmith, First Edition
Located in valatie, NY
Matthew Boulton Master silversmith 1760-1790 by Eric Delieb and Michael Roberts. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1971. First edition hardcover with dust jacket. 144 pp. A study o...
Category
20th Century American Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Sioux Beaded Patriotic Doctor's Bag, Early 20th Century
Located in Coeur d'Alene, ID
Patriotic Native American Sioux beaded doctor's bag. 62 American flags and crests. Large doctors bag; Sioux beaded. Came from a trading post in South Dakota; estimate first half 20th century, sold in the 1970's for $16,500. Bright, visual, patriotic and great condition for age (see photos). Beadwork over a vintage leather doctor's bag.
Period: 1st half 20th century
Origin: Sioux, Plains
Size: 10" x 12" x 18".
Family Owned & Operated
Cisco’s Gallery deals in the rare, exceptional, and one-of-a-kind pieces that define the history of America and the Old West. Our pieces range from American Indian to Cowboy Western and include original items of everyday life, commerce, art, and warfare that tamed America’s frontier. Our 14,000 square foot gallery opened in 1996 in beautiful Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
Personal Service
Cisco’s operates on old fashioned values – honesty and integrity, and all of our items are backed by our money back guarantee. We appreciate the opportunity to earn your business. Whether you desire assistance with a jewelry purchase, choosing a gift, identification, or even selling – we hope to be your trusted source.
Native American beadwork native American Indian beadwork...
Category
Early 20th Century American Native American Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Leather
Sotheby's: The Garbisch Collection, Volume Two, 1st Ed
Located in valatie, NY
Sotheby's: The Garbisch Collection, Vol. 2, May 17, 1980, important French furniture, European porcelain Vertu, and rugs. First edition hardcover with dust jacket. 588 lots of import...
Category
1980s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
English Furniture a.D. 43, 1950 by Edward T. Joy, 1st Ed
Located in valatie, NY
English Furniture A.D. 43 - 1950 by Edward T. Joy. Published by Arco Pub. Co. NY. 1st Ed hardcover with dust jacket. 84 pp with 200 monochrome illustrations and archive photographs t...
Category
1960s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
"The Art of the Surfboard" Book Signed by Surfer Greg Noll - First Edition
By Greg Noll
Located in San Diego, CA
"The Art of the Surfboard" first edition book signed by legendary surfer Greg Noll (As well as author Drew Kampion and Jed Noll, Greg's son), circa 2007. The book, written by longtim...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Set of Antique Books Dating from the 19th Century
Located in Beuzevillette, FR
Set of antique books dating from the 19th century. From an old protestant library near Le Havre in France. These books are called "Holy Bible". Th...
Category
Mid-19th Century English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Alvar Aalto: Points of Contact (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
This book is the catalogue for an exhibition at the Alvar Aalto Museum in 1994. With essays by Aalto himself, Kirmo Mikkola, Juhani Pallasmaa, Kristian Gullichen and Kaarina Mikonran...
Category
20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Joan Miró I'm Going to Smash Their Guitar by Agnes De La Beaumelle
Located in valatie, NY
Joan Miró 1917–1934: I'm Going to Smash Their Guitar by Agnes De La Beaumelle. Published by Paul Holberton Publishing, DACS London, and Paris: Editions du Centre Pompidou, 2004. 1st ...
Category
Early 2000s English Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Boat Blueprint of the "Cabrilla" from Motor Boating Publications
Located in Norwell, MA
Boat blueprint from Motor Boating's Build a Boat series. This blueprint shows a William Atkin design of the V bottom day cruiser "Cabrilla." Atkin designed more than 700 boats. Lloyd...
Category
1970s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Boat Blueprint of the "Melody" from Motor Boating Publications
Located in Norwell, MA
Boat blueprint from Motor Boating's Build a Boat series. This blueprint shows a William Atkin design of the thirty seven foot bridge deck cruiser "Melody."...
Category
1970s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Boat Blueprint of the Yacht "Tally Ho Major" from Motor Boating Publications
Located in Norwell, MA
Boat blueprint from Motor Boating's Build a Boat series. This blueprint shows a William Atkin design of the auxiliary cutter "Tally Ho Major." Atkin designed more than 700 boats. Llo...
Category
1970s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Vitamin V Video and the Moving Image in Contemporary Art
Located in New York, NY
The most comprehensive survey to date of contemporary video and moving-image art from the last decade
Video has never been more prevalent in contemporary art than it is today. At a ...
Category
2010s Chinese Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Dessins Anciens by Nicolas Schwed, Mars 2014, 1st Ed
Located in valatie, NY
Dessins Anciens by Nicolas Schwed. Publisher Nicholas Schwed, 2014. 1st Ed softcover. A large collection of old master drawings and watercolors.
NPT Books, a division of Trent Anti...
Category
2010s French Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Shells: Jewels From the Sea
Located in Richmond, VA
Vintage hardback coffee table book celebrating the natural artistry of marine mollusks. By M.G. Harasewych, photographs by Murray Alcosser, published by Rizzoli in 1991. First editio...
Category
1990s Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Henry Matthews Sterling Silver and Enamel Belt, Shoe Buckles and Button Set
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
Henry Matthews sterling silver and enamel belt, shoe buckles and button set for Alexander Clark Manufacturing Company, London, England.
Category
Early 20th Century British Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Sterling Silver, Enamel
$750 Sale Price / set
50% Off
The Blues Brothers
Located in London, GB
Original poster designed and used to promote the soundtrack for the classic 1980 comedy starring John Belushi, Dan Akroyd. This film was directed by John Landis.
This poster is unf...
Category
1980s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
$1,307
The Art of Paul Gauguin
Located in Bradenton, FL
The Art of Paul Gauguin from the exhibition which ran at The National Gallery of Art, Washington, The Art Institute of Chicago, and Grand Palais, Paris between May 1988 and April 198...
Category
1980s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
First Edition a Song of the English by Rudyard Kipling
Located in New York, NY
First edition a song of The English by Rudyard Kipling. Original blue cloth with front cover pictorially stamped in gilt on front cover and spine. edition of illustrated work by Robi...
Category
Early 20th Century English Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Five Architects, second edition, 1975, hardcover
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Five Architects - second edition - 1975 - hardcover
Five architects: Eisenman, Graves, Gwathmey, Hejduk, Meier
Published by Oxford University Press, 1975
by Richar Eisenman, Pe...
Category
1970s American Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Boat Blueprint of the "Grayling JR" from Motor Boating Publications
Located in Norwell, MA
Boat blueprint from Motor Boating's Build a Boat series. This blueprint shows a George Crouch design of the twenty-four-foot runabout "Grayling JR." George Crouch was a famous boat d...
Category
1940s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Ocean, Exploring the Marine World
By Phaidon
Located in New York, NY
Experience the force, mystery, and beauty of the ocean and seas through more than 300 images - featuring underwater photography, oceanographic maps and scientific illustrations, as well as paintings, sculptures and popular films.
Oceanography and art collide in this visual celebration of humans' relationship with the marine world. From early nautical cartography, scientific illustrations and astounding maps of the ocean floor to ancient Roman mosaics, Japanese woodblock prints and pop-culture ephemera Ocean takes readers across continents and cultures, spanning more than 3,000 years of history.
Vivid, full-page images reveal prehistoric marine creatures and fossils, mysterious flora and fauna, mythical creatures of the deep and surfing icons of today. Explore the diverse groups of fish and coral on the Great Barrier Reef, jellyfish from the deepest location on Earth and life in the polar waters of the Arctic and Antarctic. Learn about the dangers facing our planet's oceans due to climate change activity and the dedicated efforts of conservationists to benefit our underwater ecosystems.
Developed with a panel of marine biologists, research scientists, conservationists, photographers, museum curators and experts from organizations including the Wildlife Conservation Society and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Ocean illustrates Sylvia Earle's observation: 'Everyone, everywhere is inextricably connected to and utterly dependent upon the existence of the sea.
Featured artists, designers, explorers, photographers and other creators include: Mary Anning, Brian Skerry, Jacques Cousteau...
Category
2010s Chinese Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
$65 / item
Boat Blueprint of the Runabout "Vamoose" from Motor Boating Publications
Located in Norwell, MA
Boat blueprint from Motor Boating's Build a Boat series. This blueprint shows a William Atkin design of the V bottom runabout "Vamoose." Atkin designed more than 700 boats. Lloyd's R...
Category
1970s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
The Haunted Mansion Bathroom
Located in London, GB
Original artwork acrylic and ink on art board for The Haunted Mansion Bathroom
This art work was used to create a print sold at Disney theme park. The...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paint
$2,752 Sale Price
20% Off
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.
Read More
Medal-Worthy Memorabilia from Epic Past Olympic Games
Get into the games! These items celebrate the events, athletes, host countries and sporting spirit.
Ahoy! You’ve Never Seen a Collection of Sailor Art and Kitsch Quite Like This
French trendsetter and serial collector Daniel Rozensztroch tells us about his obsession with objects related to seafaring men.
Pamela Shamshiri Shares the Secrets behind Her First-Ever Book and Its Effortlessly Cool Interiors
The sought-after designer worked with the team at Hoffman Creative to produce a monograph that beautifully showcases some of Studio Shamshiri's most inspiring projects.
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.