Collectibles and Curiosities
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Collectibles and Curiosities For Sale
KARL GLAZER 1932 Austria Schnauzer Dog Table Petrol Lighter Bronze & Red Lacquer
Located in Miami, FL
Petrol lighter designed by Karl Glazer.
Fabulous and rare antique table petrol lighter, created in Vienna Austria by the Karl Glazer Metallwarenfabrik, back in the 1932-1933. This u...
Category
1930s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass, Bronze
Exceptional 18th Century French Stone Baptismal Font
Located in Atlanta, GA
An exceptional 18th century stone Baptismal font from the South of France. Beautifully hand-sculpted with a sensational patina. Perfect as a water...
Category
18th Century French Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Stone
Toppai kabuto, Signed Haruta Yoshimasa and dated 1802
Located in Milano, IT
Toppai kabuto,
Samurai helmet from the Kajiwara clan.
Edo period, dated 1802.
Signatures:
筑藩士官 梶原 景泰 命春田 昌芳造之 享和二年壬 秋也
Chikushū (?) Shikan (officer) Kajiwara Kageyasu (?) Mikoto (lo...
Category
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Iron
Antique Novel, The Snow Ship, Percy St John, English, Fiction, Victorian, C.1880
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique novel The Snow Ship by Percy St. John. An English language fiction book with secondary title Merchant of Yakoutsk, dating to the Victorian period, this edition cir...
Category
Late 19th Century British Victorian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Early 20th c. Folk Art Log Cabin Model c.1900-1940 (FREE SHIPPING)
Located in San Francisco, CA
ABOUT
An original handmade folk art log cabin model with a chimney, one door and seven windows. Three windows have glass panes.
CREATOR Unknown.
DATE OF MANUFACTURE c.1900-...
Category
Early 20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wood, Glass
Rare Estate Ilana Goor Dionysus Sterling Silver Gem Set Statement Necklace
By Ilana Goor
Located in New York, NY
Rare estate Ilana Goor Dionysus sterling silver, gem set large statement necklace
Provenance: Estate of a notable New York City psychiatrist and collector of rare, often one-of a kin...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Israeli Post-Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Sterling Silver
Antique Carpentry Book, Architecture Reference, Peter Nicholson, Victorian, 1846
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique carpentry book. An English language, bound reference guide by Peter Nicholson, dating to the Victorian period, published 1846.
Fu...
Category
Mid-19th Century British Victorian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Continental Wood Pocket Sundial and Compass 1780ca
Located in Firenze, IT
A carved Continental wood pocket sundial and compass, with precision carved numbers and a small stringline, 1.5 cm high, 6.5 cm wide, 4.5 cm deep
Category
1780s German Neoclassical Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wood
Designed for Life The World’s Best Product Designers
Located in New York City, NY
A global survey of 100 of the most creative and innovative product designers working today
Designed For Life showcases 100 of the most exciting designers around the world and, through their work, shines a lens on what is happening at the forefront of contemporary product design. The boundaries between design, art, craft, fashion, and architecture have been blurred in recent years and a new generation of designers has emerged, working across different fields and genres. Products illustrated in the book range from furniture, lighting, and objects, to limited editions, glassware, and office systems, making Designed for Life the ideal route to new talent throughout the field of product design and the perfect way to assess exactly what is being created in the design scene today
Chosen by an international line up of influential industry experts – design critics, museum curators, entrepreneurs, journalists, and gallerists – the nominated designers comprise young product designers who have emerged in the last few years, but who have already produced outstanding, creative, and innovative pieces of design, such as Mac Collins, Nifemi Marcus-Bello, Minjae Kim...
Category
2010s Chinese Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Antique Very Early Possible Late 17th - Early 18th Century Bronze Cow Bell
Located in Bridgeport, CT
A heavy bronze cow bell with clanger. Sharp loud sound.
Dimensions: 9 3/8" H x 5 5/8" W
Condition: Wear consistent with age, nicely patinated.
Category
Early 18th Century Rustic Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass
Vintage industrial kitchen scale with timer of Yasu Sasamoto - Dulton -
Located in Roma, IT
Simple but elegant design by Yasu Sasamoto for Dulton. A kitchen scale with a built-in timer. Tested and working (both timer and accuracy are good). This creamy white edition will be...
Category
Mid-20th Century British Industrial Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Iron
Ptolemaic Armillary Sphere Charles-François Delamarche Paris, 1805-1810 Circa
Located in Milano, IT
Charles-François Delamarche
Ptolemaic armillary sphere
Paris, circa 1805-1810
Wood and papier-mâché
covered with printed and partly hand-coloured paper
It measures 15.74” in height, ...
Category
Early 1800s French Empire Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper, Wood
Anatomical model: a male human body in life-size proportions, Italy 1930.
Located in Milan, IT
Anatomical model for schools, educational use, depicting the flayed male human body in life-size proportions, with removable organs, made of painted resin, all placed on a black wood...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Resin, Wood
A Very Fine Large Size 19th Century Teak and Brass Ships Wheel
Located in Dublin, IE
A very fine 19th Century well figured teak and brass ships wheel of large proportions, beautifully hand carved with rich patination, grain and brass mounted throughout. This stunnin...
Category
19th Century English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass
Ferrari. Signed, Collector's Edition Book & Marc Newson V12 Engine Casing
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Il Fascino Ferrari - A monument to Italy’s driving force.
Few are the men and brands that have come to define a century. For seven decades and counting, the Italian powerhouse found...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Aluminum, Chrome
A Wooden Diptical Sundial Germany 1810's
Located in Firenze, IT
SHIPPING POLICY:
No additional costs will be added to this order.
Shipping costs will be totally covered by the seller (customs duties included).
Pocket sundial, made out of wood, ...
Category
1810s German Neoclassical Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Tales of a Traveler by Geoffrey Crayon (Washington Irving) 2 Volumes 1st Edition
By Washington Irving
Located in San Francisco, CA
A rare first edition of Washington Irving's "Tales of a Traveler" published under the pseudonym Geoffrey Crayon by John Murray Albemarle-Street, London 1824. Bound in 3/4 calf with ...
Category
1820s English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Leather
The Life of Benvenuto Cellini in 2 volumes. Published: 1906 by Brentanos.
Located in San Francisco, CA
The Life of Benvenuto Cellini in 2 volumes. Published: 1906 by Brentanos. Top edges gilt. Cellini (1500-1571) was an Italian Renaissance goldsmith, sculptor, and author whose most fa...
Category
Early 1900s Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Leather, Paper
Gold Wash Floral Engraved Silver Religious Offering Chalice with Hallmark & Case
Located in Big Flats, NY
Gold Wash Floral Engraved Silver Religious Offering Chalice with Hallmark & Case, 20th C
Measures- 8.75''H x 5''W x 5''D
Category
20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Gold, Silver
Antique Map of the City of Vienna by Balbi '1847'
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Vienne'. Original antique map of the city of Vienna, Austria. This map originates from 'Abrégé de Géographie (..)' by Adrien Balbi. Published 1847.
Category
Mid-19th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Exceptional pair of sterling silver modernist cufflinks designed by Sam Kramer
By Modern Aesthetic Design
Located in Brooklyn, US
A fantastic pair of sterling cufflinks designed by iconic Greenwich Village Modernist jeweler Sam Kramer. The biomorphic design are emblematic of his surrealistic style . He was kno...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Sterling Silver
The Earthly Paradise: A Poem by William Morris in 4 Leatherbound Volumes
Located in San Francisco, CA
A lovely leatherbound 4 volume work by William Morris( 1834-1896) the famous British designer and poet, entitled "The Earthly Paradise" published in 1905 by Longmans, Green and Co. L...
Category
Early 20th Century English Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Leather, Paper
1910-11 The Rhinegold and the Valkyrie, Siegfried and the Twilight of the Gods
By Wagner
Located in Bath, GB
A beautifully and colourfully illustrated copy of Richard Wagner's epic four epic opera dramas, illustrated throughout by Arthur Rackham with tipped-in colour plates, scarce to see i...
Category
1910s British Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Hermès Sterling Silver Stirrup Cufflinks Box Paris France 21th Century
By Hermès
Located in Antwerpen, BE
Introducing a pair of exquisite Hermès stirrup cufflinks crafted from sterling silver, accompanied by their original box. Made in the 21st century, these cufflinks epitomize the time...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Silver, Sterling Silver
Steinway & Sons Concert Grand Piano
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
This extraordinary concert grand piano with 88 keys was made by the prestigious firm Steinway & Sons around 1894. The case's decoration was entrust...
Category
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wood, Giltwood
Maitland Smith Art Nouveau Style Large Standing Brass Nautilus Magnifying Glass
Located in Doylestown, PA
Maitland Smith Art Nouveau style large standing nautilus magnifying glass.
Lots of intricate details capture the beauty of this intriguing sea creature. It is free standing supporte...
Category
Late 20th Century Chinese Art Nouveau Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass
A Porter's Direction Sundial Germany Early 19th Century
Located in Firenze, IT
The printed and pivoted compass card and chapter ring centred by brass gnomon, in turned rosewood case with domed lid, (glass cover), 5cm (2in) diam.
Category
Early 19th Century German Neoclassical Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wood
King Edward V111 Royal Commemorative Pottery Beaker, May 12th 1937
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
This is a royal commemorative earthenware (pottery) beaker celebrating the planned coronation of King Edward V111th on May 12th 1937.
The tapering beaker or cup would have been made...
Category
Mid-20th Century English Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Earthenware
The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle 1993
Located in North Hollywood, CA
The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Collectible hardcover book.
New York: Reader's Digest Association, 1993.
First Edition First Printing.
Hardcover, Eng...
Category
Late 20th Century British Expressionist Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Betel Motor Car Art Deco Brass Box, Collectible Toy, Children's Paint Set, 1930s
Located in Roma, IT
Patent 75086 - This is a large tobacco box with many purposes, (Child's Paint Set). Car in multicolored golden tin in classic brass. Almost new with all the original parts. Wonderful...
Category
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Metal, Brass
A Golden Celebration the Art and the Story of the World's Best-loved Comic Strip
Located in North Hollywood, CA
A Golden Celebration : the Art and the Story of the World's Best-loved Comic Strip Hardcover Book.
Charles Monroe Schulz.
Large Hardcover Comic books, strips.
Publisher : Harper ...
Category
Late 20th Century North American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Baroque Style Hand Carved Wooden Crucifix with Stunning Bronze Corpus of Christ
Located in Lisse, NL
Crucifix from the mid-1800s with a carved shroud or veil depicting Christ in the base.
This unique and remarkable antique crucifix can both be used as a table and as a wall crucifix. Over the decades we have sold a number of unique and very well crafted crucifixes, but never one in the Baroque style with this combination of materials and techniques. The overall design and size is what stands out first, but the details and the materials are what make this antique work of religious art extraordinary. With four angels (or putti) watching over a sculpture of the Veil of Veronica, the relatively large base of this unique crucifix is a work of religious art in its own right. It is almost as if the cross is growing from this beautiful base and the cross itself too comes with a number of superbly hand carved details. To us, the most remarkable are the three stunning Baroque shells. With their symbolic meaning of birth and resurrection it is obvious why the artist / sculptor so tastefully incorporated them here. Apart from a minor 'lean' to the left, the cross itself too is in excellent condition. If one were to speak of a trinity in this crucifix then the unique base and cross are completed with an equally striking, solid bronze corpus of Christ...
Category
Mid-19th Century European Baroque Revival Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Bronze
A Brass Butterfield Type Dial French Early 18th Century
Located in Firenze, IT
signed Buterfield A Paris., the octagonal dial with hinged gnomon and bird pointer, inset compass and engraved with hour scales, the reverse engraved with towns and their latitudes, ...
Category
Early 18th Century French Napoleon III Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass
Victorian Mahogany Jockey Scale By Leuchars & Son
Located in New Orleans, LA
An excellent piece of horse racing history, this English jockey scale was specially crafted by Leuchars & Son of London. These handsome scales were used at English tracks to determin...
Category
19th Century English Victorian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass
Sculptural 18th Century Italian Black Crucifix with Tourmaline in Matrix
By Interi
Located in Dublin, Dalkey
18th century Italian crucifix adorned with tourmaline and mounted on tourmaline in a crystal matrix from Brazil.
The piece is put together by Jean O'Reilly Barlow, the artist and c...
Category
18th Century Italian Baroque Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Rock Crystal, Tourmaline
1970 Sergio Asti Cedit Space Age Design Italiano Ceramica Verde Posacenere
Located in Brescia, IT
Posacenere
designer Sergio Asti
prod. Cedit
Italy, 1970
Ceramica verde
Posacenere composto da due elementi in ceramica verde
Etichetta adesiva e firma impressa sotto vetrina
Perfet...
Category
1970s Italian Space Age Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Ceramic
Turn of the Century Wooden Excercise/Juggling Pins c.1900 (FREE SHIPPING)
Located in San Francisco, CA
ABOUT
A pair of turn of the century solid wooden exercise/juggling pins. Original "Gold Coin" label on one pin. Both stamped "1 1/2 lbs.".
CREATOR Gold Coin brand.
DATE OF ...
Category
19th Century Industrial Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wood
Geometric Cuff, Isaky, Paris c. 1980
By Isaky
Located in St Ouen, FR
Methacrylate plate fixed by a rubber link on a black acrylic bracelet, matt exterior and glossy interior, locked by an altugas rod wearing the Artist's brand.
Both the facade and th...
Category
1980s French Space Age Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Plastic
Araki's Magnum Opus: Complete Book Collection 1-20 + Satchin and Mabo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Works of Nobuyoshi Araki Book Complete Collection 1-20 plus special book Nobuyoshi Araki Book Satchin and His Brother Mabo / 1stn in 1997
The works of Nobuyoshi Araki Book collectio...
Category
1990s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
18th Century Southern European Polychrome Processional Figure
Located in London, GB
18th Century Southern European Polychrome Processional Figure
A late 18th early 19th Century Southern European polychrome and gessoed carved pine and beech processional figure of a ...
Category
Early 1800s Unknown Neoclassical Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Pine
18th Century Italian Silver and Gold Crucifix with Mica and Calcite Crystal
By Interi
Located in Dublin, Dalkey
18th century Italian silver and gold leaf crucifix adorned with baroque pearls and mounted on a mica cluster and a calcite crystal. The mica specimen is from the Great Smoky Mountain...
Category
18th Century Italian Rococo Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Rock Crystal, Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Antique Red Cast Iron Star Mill Co. Philadelphia No. 7 Coffee Grinder
Located in Chicago, IL
Antique Red Cast Iron Star Mill Co. Philadelphia No. 7 Coffee Grinder
Star Mill Co. cast iron coffee grinder with the original red paint, made in Philadelphia, PA.
Circa 1880
H 2...
Category
1880s American American Craftsman Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Iron
Antique Dutch silver bracket with embroidered sac, 1820
Located in Delft, NL
Antique Dutch silver bracket with embroidered sac, 1820
A Dutch silver bracket made in 1820 with an embroidered sac. The silver is Dutch silver hallmarked with the "Lion 2" for 833/...
Category
Early 19th Century Dutch Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Silver
Summer to Summer Houses Book by the Sea by Jennifer Ash Rudick
By Jennifer Ash
Located in New York, NY
Summer to Summer
Houses by the Sea
By: Jennifer Ash Rudick
Photography by Tria Giovan
From the rocky coast of Maine to the sandy beaches of the Hamptons, from Nantucket to Newport, from Fire Island to Fishers Island, from Martha’s Vineyard to Provincetown, summer hours are as varied in style as the people who hightail it to the beach as soon as the temperature climbs. In this lushly illustrated book, author Jennifer Ash Rudick has sought out some thirty of the best. She invites us to a minimally decorated, Isamu Noguchi–designed home in Northeast Harbor, Maine, and Sister Parrish...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Hermes Travel Size Playing Cards
By Hermès
Located in New York, NY
2 Decks of travel sized playing cards both featuring an abstracted graphic H pattern. Hermes, Paris.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
1955 Hickory Dickory Dock
Located in Bath, GB
A vanishingly scarce to see signed first edition of this classic Poirot tale.
The first edition, first impression, with no other impressions stated.
Signed and dedicated by the aut...
Category
1950s British Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
"The Second World War, " by Winston Churchill
Located in Austin, TX
The Second World War by Winston Churchill from Houghton-Mifflin Company, Boston.
A vintage edition of Winston Churchill's six-volume memoir, The Second World War, for which he was a...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Large Gothic Revival Wrought Iron Chandelier for Dining Room / Restaurant Etc
Located in Lisse, NL
Great quality workmanship, forged in fire Gothic Art candle chandelier or pendant light.
This beautiful quality and all hand forged chandelier comes with clearly visible, Gothic qua...
Category
Early 20th Century Dutch Gothic Revival Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wrought Iron
The Godfather / Il Padrino
Located in London, GB
Original Italian film poster for Francis Ford Coppola's gangster masterpiece starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and Robert Duvall.
This piece is in excellent condition, with the colo...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Vintage Wild Boar Teeth Trophy on Wooden Plaque, Germany 1950s
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Vintage Wild Boar Teeth Trophy on Wooden Plaque, Germany 1950s
A vintage Black Forest wild boar (Sus scrofa) trophy on wooden plaque. The teeth are decorated with two metal mounting...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Black Forest Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Metal
Volkswagen 'Bug' Beetle Lighter, 1980s Japan
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Fun vintage table lighter in the shape of a Volkswagen Beetle. Made completely of metal with a hollow body and painted in a classic taxi cab yellow. Great details throughout and fini...
Category
1980s Japanese Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Metal
Bronze Napoleon I Death Mask, From The Dr. Antommarchi Cast
Located in New Orleans, LA
This mesmerizing antique bronze death mask of the Emperor Napoleon I is cast from the mold created by Dr. Francesco Antommarchi, Napoleon’s personal physician and companion during th...
Category
19th Century French Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Bronze
Mirror Mirror Reflections on Design at Chatsworth
Located in New York, NY
The world’s most important contemporary designers showcase their work within the historic setting of Chatsworth House to shine light and spark conversation on the intriguing juxtaposition of the old and the new, the past and the future, and the evolution of design histories and practices.
Chatsworth is an extraordinary environment to experience design: a repository for great works of fine and decorative art commissioned by generations of the Cavendish family for over four centuries. Expanding on the eponymous 2023 exhibition at Chatsworth, Mirror Mirror features the works of sixteen contemporary artists through captivating in-situ photography with accompanying artist biographies and essays that unearth how historic artifacts and environments inform and inspire modern artists' practices today. This diverse group of artists includes Michael Anastassiades, Ini Archibong, Wendell Castle, Andile Dyalvane, Ndidi Ekubia, Najla El Zein, Formafantasma, Joris Laarman, Max Lamb, Fernando Laposse, Jae Sae Jung Oh, Samuel...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
19th Century Country French Beech Wood and Rush Prayer Chair from Normandy
Located in Dallas, TX
Place this elegant antique prayer chair in a bedroom for your daily devotions. Created in Normandy, France circa 1880, the Prie-Dieu ( Pray God ), stands on curved legs joined by a d...
Category
Late 19th Century French Country Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Rush, Beech
Sculptural 18th Century Italian Crucifix with Selenite Sunrays and Apophyllite
By Interi
Located in Dublin, Dalkey
Sculptural 18th century Italian crucifix with selenite in matrix and adorned with gem beading around the cross. The selenite in matrix creates the sunrays around the crucifix. The pi...
Category
18th Century Italian Rococo Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Rock Crystal
Annette Himstedt doll Neblina 1991/1992 with children's doll pram
Located in Delft, NL
Annette Himstedt doll Neblina 1991/1992 with children's doll pram
A Mid 20th Century children's doll pram with an Annette Himstedt doll.
Neblina is from th...
Category
20th Century German Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Fabric, Plastic
Early 1900s Gothic Revival Brass and Bronze Church Candle Chandelier / Pendant
Located in Lisse, NL
Practical size and great looking church sanctuary light.
The amount of work that went into creating this striking and practical size chandelier is a...
Category
Early 20th Century French Gothic Revival Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass, Bronze
18th Century Italian Crucifix with Malachite, Calcite, and Raspberry Garnet
By Interi
Located in Dublin, Dalkey
18th century Italian crucifix mounted on green malachite, calcite with fluorite, and raspberry garnet. The piece is adorned with Carnelian pebbles and garnet. The minerals are from a...
Category
18th Century Italian Baroque Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Rock Crystal, Carnelian, Malachite
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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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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