Collectibles and Curiosities
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Collectibles and Curiosities For Sale
Antique Jewelry Box Art Deco Period
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful antique Art Deco period jewelry box, styled by Jacques Kreisler, circa early-20th Century, New York, New York. Box is an aubergine ...
Category
Early 20th Century Art Deco Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Metal
Plaster Virgin Traditional Figure, Circa 1950
Located in Barcelona, ES
Traditional religious plaster figure of a virgin. Made in traditional Catalan atelier in Olot, Spain, circa 1950. In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and...
Category
1950s Spanish Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Plaster
Ceremonial pectoral plastron in the form of a half moon, Tibet, 19-20th C
Located in Leuven , BE
Old large pectoral necklace in the shape of a breastplate, originating from Tibet. Magnificent color work with a mixture of turquoise stones, red beads, silver and copper. The suppor...
Category
Late 19th Century Tibetan Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Multi-gemstone
Antique Map of Morocco Showing Towns of Marakesh, Taradant and Fez, 1636
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Fezzae et Marocchi regna Africae Celeberrima'. Map of Morocco, showing large fortified towns of Marakesh, Taradante and Fez, towns, mountains, rivers, lakes, etc....
Category
17th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Gothic Revival Oak Fireplace Mantel with Carved Church Window Panels & Guards
Located in Lisse, NL
Wonderful Gothic Revival fire-place mantle surround with an amazing presence and patina.
If you like Gothic Revival furniture then we are certain you will like this quality made and quality carved, antique Gothic mantle...
Category
Early 20th Century European Gothic Revival Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wood, Oak
Giant Natural Clam Shell
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Category
1950s Philippine Hollywood Regency Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Shell
Vintage Rare 1990s Chanel Baroque Pearl Necklace
Located in San Diego, CA
Incredibly chic necklace from the Autumn-Winter 1996 Chanel collection. This beautiful goldtone chain with six faux baroque pearls in white and grey is simply irresistible. This nec...
Category
1990s American Post-Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Metal
Stylish Art Deco Wall Crucifix Gilt Bronze Christ Corpus Mounted on a Oak Cross
Located in Lisse, NL
Rare and beautiful, fire gilt Art Deco era sculpture of Christ.
Some crucifixes come with sculptures of Christ in terrible agony, but the face underneath the crown of thorns on this...
Category
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Bronze
Bicycle Model Midcentury Design "Itera" Plastic for Volvo, Sweden
By Volvo
Located in Antwerp, BE
In the current period where the bicycle is undergoing major development and provides a sporty displacement
is this very original green rare designed Volvo seventies bike a really collector's item.
In response to the 1974 oil crisis, a small group of Swedish engineers obtained government funding to develop a bicycle completely composed of fiber-reinforced composite plastics (FRP).
By 1980, the Itera Development Center AB was designing, producing, and marketing injection molded plastic bicycles to a seemingly interested market. The first bicycles were delivered in 1982, the problems with quality assurance and design began stacking up against the company.This bike is in a Vintage original condition.
The Itera bicycle...
Category
1980s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Antique Belgian Chocolate Mold
Located in New York, NY
Antique Belgian chocolate heavy metal chocolate mold. A great graphic pattern sculptural element addition for any room.
Category
Early 20th Century Belgian Arts and Crafts Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Metal
Three Queen Victoria Silver Jubilee Gilded Boxed Medallions
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
A charming set of three boxed coin shaped medallions celebrating the silver jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. The medallions of rounded shape are each contained in a turned boxwood ...
Category
1880s English Victorian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Metal
French 19th Century Cast Iron Cross
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
French 19th century cast iron field cross, also known as a pilgrim or pilgrimage cross, with elegant scrollwork and patina. Designed to mark the route...
Category
19th Century French Other Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Iron
19th Century Gaff-rigged Pond Yacht
Located in Woodbury, CT
Small size gaff-rigged pond yacht. Made from carved and hollowed wood with copper keel with lead bar weight and rubber support to silvered rudder. Deck is scored and fitted with br...
Category
19th Century English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass, Copper, Lead
Antique 19th C. W & A K Johnston 18" Celestial Library Floor Globe Stand 1879
Located in Portland, OR
A very fine antique Celestial floor globe on stand by W. & A.K. Johnston, 1879.
Representation of stars and constellations as they would appear on a...
Category
1870s Victorian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass
Christian Dior Signed 1960s Snake Chain Gold-Tone Metal Graceful Swag Belt
Located in Philadelphia, PA
From Christian Dior, France, a 1960s Era belt made of five gold-tone snake chains bound at three intervals with soldered rectangular stations. The chains hang in a graceful swag. The Christian Dior stamped...
Category
1660s French Mid-Century Modern Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Metal
Miniature Model of Sicilian Fishing Boat, Handmade, 1980s
Located in Palermo, IT
Miniature model of a Sicilian fishing boat, called a "lance".
Made by a craftsman who builds fishing boats and in his free time creates them in miniature, with the same technique as ...
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Beech
Rare Antique Russian Moscow School Silver Enamel Icon of the Holy Trinity, 1853
Located in New York, NY
Fine and rare antique Russian silver and enamel Holy Trinity icon
Moscow, 1853
Marks: Cyrillic D O maker's mark, A C assay master's mark for Aggey Grigorievich Svechin ( Postnikova-L...
Category
19th Century Russian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Silver, Enamel
Eugene Leclerc Bluenose Ship Model Canadian (1885-1968)
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
Eugene Leclerc Bluenose Ship Model
Eugene Leclerc, Canadian, (1885-1968)
Handsomely handmade model of The Bluenose created by Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec artist Eugene Leclerc like...
Category
Mid-20th Century Canadian Country Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wood
"Austrian Applied Arts" Book
Located in New York, NY
One-volume survey of "Austrian Applied Arts", primarily Secession, with an introduction by Josef Hoffmann. Published in 1930 by Heinz & Co. Organized by t...
Category
1930s Austrian Vienna Secession Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Vintage Mexican Charro Hat Decorative Mariachi Sombrero
Located in Chula Vista, CA
Viva Mexico! Decorative Mexican Charro Mariachi Sombrero Hat
21 d x 24 w x 7 h About 7 3/4
Preowned vintage condition top quality.
Some strings are loose.
Refer to all images
Category
Mid-20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Fabric
Small French PISTOL FLASK, CUPID, 19th Century
Located in TEYJAT, FR
SMALL FRENCH PISTOL FLASK, 19TH CENTURY
A finely crafted brass and copper flask, measuring 11.5 cm overall, featuring a heavily embossed design of a Cupid with bow and arrow within ...
Category
19th Century French Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Metal
Monumental 19th Century Italian Micro Mosaic Mosaic Mural Entombment of Jesus
Located in New York, NY
This exquisite 19th-century Italian micro mosaic mural panel is a true masterpiece of artistry and devotion. Painstakingly crafted by skilled artisans of the time, it depicts the poi...
Category
19th Century Italian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Stone
Olivetti Lettera 36 Portable Typewriter Designed by Ettore Sottsass. circa 1970s
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage Olivetti Lettera 36 Portable Typewriter with the Original Case. circa early 1970s
Created by famed Italian designer/architect Ettore Sottsass...
Category
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Metal
Carl Zeiss cold war era 10 x 50 periscope binoculars
By Carl Zeiss
Located in London, GB
A cold war era Carl Zeiss Oberkochen 10 x 50 periscope binoculars, German, circa 1965.
Specifications: 10 times magnification, coated optics, objective diameter 50 mm, grey filter and drop down grid.
Original transport case. (included protective feet pads and rubber eye guards).
Dimensions of the case: 29 x 18 1/2 x 11 inches. (73 x 47 x 28 cm).
Mounted on an adjustable height tripod. Height of periscope in photographs: 77 inches.
This model of Zeiss periscope...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Industrial Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
Antique English Field Glasses / Binoculars by Lawrence and Mayo - With Compass
Located in Bath, GB
A superb and very handsome pair of the unusual and sought-after "Lynx" binoculars by Lawrence and Mayo, dating to c.1900. These English pocket sized Field glasses or binoculars are m...
Category
Early 1900s British Edwardian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass
Beautiful Homes and Gardens in California
Located in New York, NY
Important and lavishly produced survey of postwar California domestic architecture, written by Frank Lloyd Wright-trained California architect Herbert Weisskamp and published by Abrams in 1964. First edition, oblong 4to (10.25” x 7.25”) hardcover with pictorial dust jacket, 4 full color photos, 314 black-and-white photos (3/4 of them by Julius Schulman), plus 113 b/w plans, drawings, and elevations. Showcases the work of the following architects and landscape designers: Raphael Soriano, Pierre Koenig, Craig Ellwood, Frank Lloyd Wright, Mark Mills, Aaron Green...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Home at Last: Enduring Design for the New American House
Located in New York, NY
Author Gil Schafer III, Photographs by Eric Piasecki
Bestselling author and popular American architect Gil Schafer returns with the final installment in h...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Carl Auböck Midcentury Tuning Fork Handmade Key Ring Chain Holder
Located in Vienna, AT
A charming modernist tuning fork keyring / key holder / keychain, designed by Carl Auböck in the 1950s. Handmade of solid polished brass by Werkstätte Auböck in Austria.
Length inc...
Category
20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass
Sixty Years of Interior Design The World of McMillen Book, 1st Ed
Located in Stamford, CT
Sixty Years of Interior Design: The World of McMillen by Erica Brown.
Hardcover, 1st edition. Binding is tight and and there is no visible wear.
Category
1980s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
1960s Alvino Bagni Sea Garden Glazed Italian Stoneware Cigar Ashtray by Raymor
By Alvino Bagni
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Heavy swirling colorful glaze, with lava and glaze pops. Super fun form, with a retro futuristic or brutalist design. Stamped ITALY in the bottom rim. About 7 inches in diameter.
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Ceramic
Miniature Travelling Chess Set Game handmade & Pokerwork Board / Box, Circa 1900
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
This is a high quality handmade Miniature or travelling wood chess set game of 32 pieces in its own lidded pokerwork decorated box, which we date to the English Edwardian period, cir...
Category
Late 19th Century British Edwardian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass
16th Century Spanish or Italian Baroque Wrought Iron Nails and Furniture Mounts
Located in Stamford, CT
Group of 16th century (or earlier, possibly Gothic) Spanish or Italian wrought iron furniture mounts. These hand-wrought bosses and nails show incredible workmanship. These would have been used to decorate - and to structurally hold together an early chest or casket. The four geometric bosses beautifully made, eight ounces each without the nail! The nails are works of art in themselves, with their heavy geometric heads.
Also two round bosses with the nail integral to the piece, one a mushroom form, the other like a parasol. And a single hand-wrought double sided nail. Great group of early iron.
Provenance: Frances Pratt, Writer, Artist, Collector. New York City.
Approximate sizes:
4 bosses 4.625 inches square 11.75 cm
Round bosses 3 inches diameter the larger 2.5 the smaller 7.6/ 6.35 cm
4.5 in high 11.4 cm
5 nails...
Category
16th Century Italian Baroque Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Iron
Dunhill Cigar Ashtray Catchall England Black and Red Collectible 1970
By Dunhill
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Large Vintage Dunhill ceramic square collectible ashtray catchall by Wade England Royal red and black.
Vintage Alfred Dunhill collectible porcelain cigar ...
Category
Late 20th Century English British Colonial Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Ceramic
Large Art Deco Airplane Model by ART BOIS 1930s
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
Large French Art Deco airplane by Anthoine ART BOIS, France, 1930s. Wood, thuja, metal and marble. Wooden airplane. Thuja ball (earth). Black marble base...
Category
1930s Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Marble, Metal
Giant Jewel Stone Dice – Set of 2 Gem Stones
Located in Pacasmayo, PE
Bring elegance to game night with our gemstone Dice—crafted from authentic semi-precious stones. A fun and refined gift for board game lovers and collectors alike.
Dimension: 1.25...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Peruvian Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Stone, Multi-gemstone
Exquisite Victorian English Gold and Scottish Agate Perfume Bottle, Circa 1870
Located in New York, NY
Exquisite Victorian English Gold and Scottish Agate Perfume Bottle, Circa 1870
Presenting a truly exceptional Victorian gold perfume bottle, crafted in England around 1870, and showcasing the distinctive "Scottish pebble" design. This exquisite piece is a masterpiece of Victorian artistry, blending luxurious materials with impeccable craftsmanship.
The perfume bottle is elegantly tapered and cylindrical in form, adorned with a stunning array of alternating lozenge, diagonal, and wavy band panels, meticulously inlaid with a rich selection of hardstones, including jasper, agate, and bloodstone. The intricate patterning of these precious stones creates a captivating visual display, embodying the refined taste of the Victorian era.
A touch of opulence is added by the hinged lid, crowned with a striking bloodstone, and the delicate pearl push-button release, which adds a subtle, yet luxurious detail. This beautiful piece is further complemented by its original fitted box, a rare find that enhances its historical value and desirability.
This Victorian perfume bottle...
Category
19th Century Scottish Victorian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Agate, Gold
"The Second World War, " Chartwell Edition by Winston Churchill
Located in Austin, TX
The Second World War (Chartwell Edition-United States) by Winston Churchill from Houghton-Mifflin Company, Boston.
A deluxe edition of Winston Churchill's six-volume memoir, The Sec...
Category
20th Century American Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Set of FIVE Silhouette Miniatures All Hand Painted by Dorothy Turton RMS, 20thC
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
A fine collection of Five original silhouette portrait miniatures by the Miniaturist painter Dorothy Turton ( 1900 to 1990s). These are all hand painted...
Category
20th Century English Georgian Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass
1800s Trepanning Head Clamp
Located in Peekskill, NY
Trepanning, also known as trepanation, trephination, trephining or making a burr hole (the verb trepan derives via Old French via Medieval Latin from the Greek noun of relevant meani...
Category
Mid-19th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass
Antique Hammond's 6-Inch Terrestrial Globe on Stand
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Offered here for your consideration is, A fine antique 6-inch terrestrial globe.
Additional Details:
By C.S. Hammond & Co.
The globe likely dates from 1927 to 1930 due to the ...
Category
20th Century Unknown Art Deco Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wood, Paper
Maximalism: Bold, Bedazzled, Gold, and Tasseled Interiors
By Phaidon
Located in New York, NY
A decadent and extravagant celebration of interior style, featuring more than 220 maximalist residential interiors, from the 1600s to the present day
This unique visual collection celebrates the very best contemporary Maximalist interior design and makes the connection to a much longer historical tradition of excess. Maximalism is a style that has been with us, in one guise or another – for example, in the castles, palazzi, chateaux, and historic homes of bygone ages – for more than 400 years. This richly illustrated volume, with metallic gold ink used throughout, features the most extraordinary Maximalist interiors from all over the globe, from centuries past and present, transcending both time and geography. An intense and thrilling journey through the magic and mayhem that is Maximalism – a book that is as much an experience as it is a book – its luxurious pages are layered, loud, and louche, chaotic, colorful, and controversial, but also romantic, joyous, and imbued with personality, history, and storytelling.
Featured designers include Jonathan Adler, Alidad, Sig Bergamin, Thomas Britt, Denning and...
Category
2010s Chinese Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Illustrated by R. Kent, First Trade Edition Thus
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick. New York: Random House, 1930. Illustrated by Rockwell Kent. First trade edition (thus). Octavo. Original publisher’s pictorial black front cloth board, s...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Fabric, Paper
Late 19th Century English Game Box
Located in Casteren, Noord-Brabant
Lovely antique game box, made of mahogany.
The box contains several games, with many bits and pieces. Not all complete.
It is obviously that there h...
Category
1890s British Belle Époque Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wood
Napoleon, Illustrated with Prints from Contemporary and Other Portraits by Baily
Located in Langweer, NL
'Napoleon, Illustrated with Prints from Contemporary and other Portraits' by J.T. Herbert Baily. 126,(2) pp. illustrated, steel engraving frontispiece, 14 illustrations added to the ...
Category
20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Banksy Graffitied Walls and Wasn’t Sorry Book
By Phaidon
Located in New York, NY
A clever, quirky biography of a leading contemporary artist, for children
Banksy is a world-famous graffiti artist who secretly spray paints pictures on streets and walls while no o...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
21st Century Leather Poseidon Round Bathroom Set Made in Italy
By Pinetti
Located in Bagnatica, Lombardia
It’s easy to understand why they are called best seller.
This is our Poseidon round bathroom set entirely covered in soft and waterproof genuine leather. Our Rialto tray, together with a round soap dispenser, a toothbrush holder, a cotton pad holder and a small box for rings to create a complete set. Five accessories with simple and minimal design perfect for contemporary and traditional bathroom suites.
Category
2010s Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Chrome
Chinese Opium Scraper with Hardwood Handle, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
This handheld tool is a 19th-century opium scraper, fitted with a curved, spoon-like blade designed to remove debris from the inner walls of a pipe bowl. The metal end is secured to ...
Category
19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass
Rolex Chronometer "Northern Goldsmiths" – 1939 Vintage 9K Gold Manual-Wind Watch
Located in Encino, CA
A Rare Pre-WWII Rolex Chronometer with Co-Branded Dial and High-Precision 18-Jewel Movement
This is a highly collectible and historically significant 1939 R...
Category
1930s Swiss Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Gold
John & Thomas Seymour Cabinet Makers in Boston 1794-1816 with Supplement
By Vernon C. Stoneman
Located in valatie, NY
John & Thomas Seymour Cabinet Makers in Boston 1794-1816 with Supplement. 1.) John and Thomas Seymour Cabinet Makers in Boston 1794-1816 by Ver...
Category
20th Century American Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
The Chinese Pavilion at Drottningholm (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
The Chinese Pavilion at Drottningholm is one of the most remarkable "chinoiseries" anywhere in the North of Europe-not because of its size and the splendour of its collections, but b...
Category
18th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Large Original Antique Map of Ireland. C.1900
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Fabulous map of Ireland
Original color.
Engraved and printed by the George F. Cram Company, Indianapolis.
Published, C.1900.
Unframed.
Free shipping.
Category
1890s American Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Chinese Bronze Opium Pallet, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This elegant bronze tool dates to the late 19th century and was originally one of many accessories that comprised an opium smoking kit. The shovel-like too...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Bronze
Exquisite Albino Peacock Taxidermy: A Majestic Display of Rarity and Elegance
Located in New York, NY
This magnificent taxidermy specimen showcases an albino (leucistic) peacock, skillfully mounted on an oval wooden base. The intricate details of the peacock's unique coloring are cap...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Late Victorian Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Feathers
Stunning Antique Gothic Revival Hand Carved Elm Wood Blanket Chest / Trunk 1750
Located in Lisse, NL
Great looking and patina antique Gothic trunk, made of solid elmwood.
This impressive looking and practical size chest shows a number of deep and...
Category
Early 18th Century Spanish Gothic Revival Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wrought Iron
Charles DICKENS. A Christmas Carol - 1915 - FIRST RACKHAM TRADE EDITION !
Located in Hillsborough, NJ
AUTHOR: DICKENS, Charles.
TITLE: A Christmas Carol.
PUBLISHER: London: William Heinemann, 1915.
DESCRIPTION: FIRST RACKHAM TRADE EDITION. 1 vol., 7/15/16" x 6", with 12 full page ...
Category
1910s British Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Leather
Original Antique Map of the American State of Connecticut & Rhode Island, 1903
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Antique map of Connecticut and Rhode Island
Published By A & C Black. 1903
Original colour
Good condition
Unframed.
Free shipping
Category
Early 1900s English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
19th Century Indian Brass Qibla Compass
Located in Stamford, CT
19th Century Indian etched brass Qibla compass.
The compass with brass needle and glass cover, the reverse engraved with tables.
4.2 inches high 2.3 wide
A qibla (qiblah) compa...
Category
Late 19th Century Indian Anglo-Indian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass
Vintage Box of Multicolored Chalks, Conte à Paris, 1970s, Unused, 2C10
Located in Bordeaux, FR
This exceptional vintage box of multicolored chalks by Conte à Paris dates back to the 1970s and remains unused, offering both artistry and nostalgia. The set is housed in its origin...
Category
1970s Vintage 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.
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.