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Collectibles and Curiosities For Sale
Period: 1940s
Period: 1910s
Vintage Observation Binoculars by Toko, Japan, 20 X 120
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
Japanese Ex-navy 20 x 120 binoculars. A large pair of Japanese ex-navy observation binoculars mounted on a vintage adjustable wooden tripod. The WWI...
Category

1940s Japanese Industrial Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Aluminum

Catalan Virgin Wood Sculpture, Capipota
Located in Barcelona, ES
Traditional religious wood Sculpture of a virgin. Made in Catalonia Spain, circa 1940. It's a beautiful piece of religious wood with glass eyes. In original condition, with ...
Category

1940s Spanish Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Dendy Sadler, "The Royal and Ancient" Golf Print
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
Golf print 'The Royal and Ancient' after Dendy Sadler. A good oak framed artist proof golf etching by James Dobie after the painting by Dendy Sadler. The ...
Category

1910s English Sporting Art Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Oak, Paper

Wind Tunnel Model of a Douglas Destroyer Made by NACA/NASA in 1942
Located in London, GB
A very rare World War II 1/5 scale wind tunnel development model of a Douglas "Destroyer" XSB2D-1 torpedo and dive bomber, circa 1942. The model was made ...
Category

1940s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Aluminum

English Antique Miniature Dressing Mirror Stand
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Condition: Original Vintage Condition Style: English Antique
Category

1940s English Other Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Mahogany

Chrome "Lucky Car" Lighter Occupied Japan with Box
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Figural Lucky Car Automobile Cigarette table lighter made in occupied Japan. Condition is good with wear to the middle portion that pops up ...
Category

1940s Japanese Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Steel

Pair of Reindeer Antique Still Banks, American, circa 1910
Located in Incline Village, NV
These two authentic cast iron antique still banks depict a large reindeer and a smaller one standing nearby. Together, they make a wonderful Christ...
Category

1910s American Folk Art Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Iron

Sinbad the Sailor. ILLUSTRATED BY EDMUND DULAC - IN A FINE ONLAY BINDING !
Located in Hillsborough, NJ
AUTHOR: DULAC, Edmund. TITLE: Sinbad the Sailor and other Stories from the Arabian Nights. PUBLISHER: London: Hodder Stoughton, n.d., (1914). DESCRIPTION: ILLUSTRATED BY EDMUND D...
Category

1910s British Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

Antique Nautical Historical Picture of the Ship Virgen De Africa Cadiz, 1917
Located in Milan, IT
Large black and white historical picture depicting the ship Virgen de Africa Cadiz, dated 1917. Original frame, 112 x 79 - inches 44 x 31. Good condition.
Category

1910s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Borzoi Dog Companion for French German Doll Jumeau Kestner, Antique German
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A salon dog from Germany for your french fashion doll. Glass amber eyes with black pupils, black nose and wooden sticky legs. Lots of clean fluffy ...
Category

1910s German Art Nouveau Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Fabric, Fur, Wool, Glass, Wood

Marlborough: His Life and Times, by Winston Churchill, First Edition Thus, 1947
By Winston Churchill
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Churchill, Winston S. Marlborough: His Life and Times. London: George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd., 1947. First Edition Thus. Two Volume Set. Rebound in tan Moroccan leather boards, with rai...
Category

1940s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather, Paper

Early 20th C. American Phonograph in Cabinet by the Kimberley Phonograph Company
Located in Morristown, NJ
Early 20th C. American phonograph, produced by the Kimberley Phonograph Company, as indicated by the plaque on the inside of the cabinet. The phonograph is housed in a wooden cabinet...
Category

1910s American Arts and Crafts Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal, Brass

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway, First Edition in Original DJ, 1940
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom the Bell Tolls. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1940. First edition, first printing. Octavo. Publisher’s beige cloth boards, first issue dust jacket. P...
Category

1940s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

DUPONT 1945 Tall Roller Petrol Pocket Lighter In Plated Sterling
Located in Miami, FL
A Dupont roller petrol lighter made in France. This is a very rare pocket petrol lighter created in Paris France during the post war period, back in the 1945. The lighter has been p...
Category

1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver Plate

Lonsdale Library Book, Hounds and Dogs
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
Hounds & Dogs, Lonsdale Library Book. One of the volumes from Lonsdale Library, Hounds & Dogs, their care, training & working. The book with over one hundred illustrations. The Lonsdale Library of Sports, Games & Pastimes, Editors The Right Hon. The Earl of Lonsdale, Sir Theodore Cook & Mr. Eric...
Category

1940s English Sporting Art Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Art Deco / Machine Spun Aluminum Modernist Lobby Ash Stand / receptical
Located in Buffalo, NY
Art Deco / Machine Spun Aluminum Modernist Lobby Ash Stand / receptical.. Amazing design,, retains original insert.
Category

1940s American Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Aluminum

Persimmon Wood Small Head Golf Club, Driver by R. Forgan
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
Robert Forgan Wood Golf Club. A good small head persimmon wood driver with hickory shaft by Robert Forgan & Son of St Andrews. The club head stamped 'R. Forgan'. The club has an old ...
Category

1910s Scottish Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood, Hickory

Deer Antler Mount Trophy on Black Forest Carved Wood Plaque Austrian Folk Art
Located in Nuernberg, DE
An antique Austrian deer antler trophy on hand carved, Black Forest wooden plaque. We believe its from 1910s or older. A nice addition to your hunters lo...
Category

1910s Austrian Folk Art Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Antler, Wood

WWII Japanese Army Type 30 Arisaka Bayonet Scabbard Hooked Quillon
Located in Dayton, OH
World War II era Imperial Japanese Type 30 bayonet with hooked quillon, wood grip, and metal scabbard. This early model was made between 1936 and 1943 and came from the Tokyo or Koku...
Category

1940s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Solid Brass Ships Telegraph by English Maker Chadburns
Located in Norwell, MA
Twin faced head with ships commands is mounted to a sturdy brass column. Meticulously polished and lacquered. Astern and ahead commands with slow half and full are shown. The bells a...
Category

1940s European Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Painting and Decorating Craftsman's Manual and Textbook, 1st Ed
Located in valatie, NY
Painting and Decorating Craftsman's Manual and Textbook. 1st Ed hardcover. Published by Theo Audel & Co Publishers, 1949. With original fold out paint chart. A valuable resource for ...
Category

1940s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Three Small Ladies Silver Purses, circa 1900, Knitted Bag
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Three small ladies silver purses, circa 1900, knitted bag. Largest measures: 6.5 cm. x 6 cm. Inside stamped. In very good condition.
Category

1910s Scandinavian Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Vintage Mid-Century Globe Meat Slicer Sculptural Enameled Iron & Stainless
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous and powerful, 1/4hp GM Delco motor. Globe deli meat slicer from the forties. Super quiet motor with a new cord and switch. In excellent vintage co...
Category

1940s American Industrial Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Enamel, Steel, Chrome, Iron, Stainless Steel

Sloane, the Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, New Revised Edition, in a Fine Binding
Located in Hillsborough, NJ
AUTHOR: SLOANE, William Milligan. TITLE: The Life Of Napoleon Bonaparte. PUBLISHER: London: The Times Book Club, 1912. DESCRIPTION: NEW REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION. 4 vols., 8" ...
Category

1910s British Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

The Charles London 1947 Pocket Petrol Lighter Guilloche Plated Sterling Silver
Located in Miami, FL
The Charles petrol lighter designed by Meyer Maximilian Levene An exceptional and rare silver-plated 'The Charles' petrol pocket lighter stamped 'The Charles Lighter', made in London England, back in the 1947. It was rafted with slim rectangular form, decorated with engine-turned casing, double entry hinged lids with innovative internal mechanical features, including a revolving flint tube to provide even wear to the flint, and a rear barrel containing spare flint chambers so that semi-automatic loading of the spare flint can be undertaken. The Charles Lighter has an extremely complicated mechanism. The flint rotates while grinded by the friction wheel. Also interesting is the revolving magazine for spare flints. A fine example of complete over-engineering. This was made only for a very short period and was patented by Meyer Maximilian Levene in 1949. Weight: 70.50 Grams, (45.19 Dwt). Measurements: 48 mm by 43 mm by 12 mm (1.89 x 1.69 x 0.77 Inches). Hallmarks: Stamped with the maker's mark and signed in full, "THE CHARLES LIGHTER MADE IN ENGLAND BRITISH & DOMINION & FOREIGN PAT GRANTED.". Literature: Stuart Schneider and Ira Pilossof, The Handbook of Vintage Cigarette Lighters...
Category

1940s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver

Stunning Nuremberg Gingerbread Candy Container, Antique German Christmas 1900s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Amazing and rare round shaped box, hand crafted in cardboard dating from the 1910s or older. The top of the box shows i view of the Nuremberg Castle in 3d optic. This antique box is ...
Category

1910s German Folk Art Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Composition

WWI Satirical Cartoon Map: 'Kill That Eagle' by J.H. Amschewitz, 1914
Located in Langweer, NL
This fascinating serio-comic map was created by John Henry Amschewitz and published in December 1914, at the beginning of WWI. Amschewitz was a British born artist who was unable to enlist for war service due to an injury he sustained while working on a mural project in Liverpool. Instead Amschewitz focused on his interests in art and theater, themes which are apparent in this map and even the title itself: European Revue. The eagle refers of course to Germany, which has its claw on Marianne's bayonet, while its other claw is being pulled by the Russian bear...
Category

1910s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Brass Boat Compass in Varnished Wood Box
Located in Norwell, MA
Classic early twentieth century boat compass by Dirigo of Seattle Washington. The entire gimballed compass has been meticulously polished and lacquered. This classic marine instrumen...
Category

1940s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

FRENCH 1915 Mechanical WWI Biplane Airplane Scale Model In Copper and Bronze
Located in Miami, FL
An antique 1915 French mechanical model of a biplane. This is a fabulous antique scale model of an SPAD S.XIII First-World-War fighter biplane, created in France during the early 20...
Category

1910s French Industrial Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass, Bronze, Copper

Vintage Italian Carrara Marble Sculpture of David
By Michelangelo
Located in Houston, TX
Stunning vintage Italian carved carrara marble sculpture or statue of David. Offered is a good sized well executed marble figure of David as a youth, copied from the original by Mic...
Category

1940s Italian Grand Tour Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Carrara Marble

Rare Set of Four Mercury Glass & Plastic Christmas Ornament Vintage, 1910s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A rare Christmas ornament set from Germany or Austria. Each is made from mouth blown glass, the 4 mushrooms with wire are made of plastic and are younger age, this would be a great a...
Category

1910s German Folk Art Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wire

U.S. Navy Destroyer Searchlight, 6 Feet Tall
Located in Norwell, MA
Six foot United States Navy searchlight from a warship. Incredible marine light with huge head with shutter mechanism. Mouted to a very sturdy yoke and stand. Glass lenses are includ...
Category

1940s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Steel

Antique Camera / Enlarger Circa 1910s
Located in Newfoundland, PA
Early Wooden Antique Camera / Enlarger Circa 1910s Please look at the photos, this has not been touched in decades. It is just the way you would like to find it, untouched. True anti...
Category

1910s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Brass, Bardou and Son Telescope Badged James W. Queen and Co.
Located in Baltimore, MD
Table top, brass refracting telescope on folding cabriole leg base. Objective lens is 3 possibly 3.25" diameter with additional solar viewing eyepiece, and lens cap. The telescope fu...
Category

1910s French Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

WAGNER (Arthur Rackham) The Rhinegold & The Valkyrie. FIRST TRADE EDITION - 1910
Located in Hillsborough, NJ
AUTHOR: WAGNER, Richard (Arthur Rackham). TITLE: The Rhinegold & The Valkyrie. PUBLISHER: London: William Heinemann, 1910. DESCRIPTION: FIRST TRADE EDITION. 1 vol., 10-1/6" x 7-7...
Category

1910s British Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

Nora Inu / Stray Dog
Located in London, GB
This is an exceptionally rare very rare original Japanese film poster for Akira Kurosawa's 1949 crime film. This is not the general release poster but one created for local theatres ...
Category

1940s Japanese Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Antique doll Roma 16, Plass & Roesner, Austria 1913
Located in Miklavž Pri Taboru, SI
An antique Austrian doll Plass & Roesner, Roma 1913, is an infrequent visitor to the doll market. As you can see in the photos, her fingertips are partially missing. She needs a good...
Category

1910s Austrian Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Porcelain, Wood

46-Star American Flag Printed in Drum Star Configuration
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
This is an original 46-Star American parade flag, celebrating Oklahoma statehood. Each star on the flag's canton represents a state in the Union at the time. The official flag design would update every July 4th, to include any new states added to the Union in the past year. Oklahoma, the 46th state, entered the Union on November 16, 1907. As such, this 46–star flag was the official flag of the United States from July 4, 1908, until July 4, 1912. The silk flag has a dark blue canton with 46 white printed stars. The stars are printed in an 7-8-8-8-8-7 row configuration, or “Drum design.” The flag design is completed with 13 alternating red and white stripes, each stripe representing one of the original thirteen colonies. The land that comprises Oklahoma today was added to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Throughout the 19th century, the U.S. government relocated Indian tribes from the southeastern United States to the area, and by 1900, over 30 Indian tribes had been moved to what was originally called the Indian Territories. At the same time, ranchers in Texas began to move into the area in search of new pasture lands. Although stipulations in the Indian Relocation Act agreed that the land would forever be Indian Territory, the promise of fertile farmland trumped the government’s promise of sovereignty. On April 22, 1889, they opened the land to settlement by homesteaders, creating a land run in which settlers, called “Boomers,” were allowed to cross the Texas or Arkansas border at a particular hour to claim homesteads. Settlers who illegally crossed the border earlier to stake prime land were called “sooners,” which eventually became the state’s nickname. Wagons and the Santa Fe railroad carried cartloads of men and women to blank town sites and building plots, creating ten thousand-people communities in a matter of days. The following year, the region was further divided into Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory...
Category

1910s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silk

Rare Set of Six Mercury Glass & Cotton Christmas Ornament Vintage, 1910s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A rare Christmas ornament set from Germany or Austria. Each is made from mouth blown glass, one of pressed cotton, this would be a great addition for your Christmas or feather tree. ...
Category

1910s German Folk Art Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wire

Nautical magnetic compass, signed by Henry Browne & Son Ltd Sestrel 1942.
Located in Milan, IT
Nautical magnetic compass, signed by Henry Browne & Son Ltd Sestrel 1942, Barking & London 1942. Good condition, slight abrasion on compass rose. The compass is mounted on eboni...
Category

1940s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Edgar Allan Poe, 'Edmund Dulac', The Bells & Other Poems. 1ST TRADE EDITION 1912
Located in Hillsborough, NJ
Author: POE, Edgar Allan ( Edmund Dulac ). Title: The Bells and Other Poems. Publisher: London: Hodder and Stoughton, n.d., (1912). FIRST TRADE ...
Category

1910s British Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

Baier German 1947 Army Truck Lighter Cigarette Holder And Ashtray In Aluminum
Located in Miami, FL
Army Truck Lighter, Cigarette case & ashtray by Walter Baier Company. Beautiful large sized aluminum lighter by the Baier Company, in the shape of a...
Category

1940s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Aluminum, Steel

1942 US Navy Quartermasters Mark II Spyglass Military Maritime Ship Telescope
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique Hayward Lumber & Inv Co of Los Angeles nautical maritime military ship spyglass / telescope / scope. Quartermaster, Mark II, 16 Power, Chemical & MFG Division. This telescop...
Category

1940s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Solid Brass U.S. Navy Ship's Binnacle
Located in Norwell, MA
Solid brass battleship binnacle with gimballed compass. Iron compensating balls are mounted to brackets. Quite heavy. from the US Navy. Torpedo base. Great polish job. Overall dim...
Category

1940s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Antique WWII Swiss Army 1945 MO-05 Military Bicycle Bike with Leather Frame Pack
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique WWII Swiss Army MO-05 Military Bicycle with Leather Frame Pack. Item featuredis being offered as pictured. Bicycle does seem to function nicely and the tires are holding air....
Category

1940s Arts and Crafts Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

The Works Of Martin Luther - PHILADELPHIA EDITION - 6 vols. - IN A FINE BINDING!
Located in Hillsborough, NJ
AUTHOR: LUTHER, Martin. TITLE: The Works Of Martin Luther. PUBLISHER: Philadelphia: Muhlenberg Press, 1943. DESCRIPTION: THE PHILADELPHIA EDITION. 6 vols., bound in 1/4 green cal...
Category

1940s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

French Sculptural Bronze Bracelet 'La Manif" by Line Vautrin
Located in Atlanta, GA
A gilt bronze bracelet by Line Vautrin (1913-1997), circa 1945-46. The design is known as "La Manif" or "La Manifestation", which features a chain of arm-linked figurines. Monogramme...
Category

1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Bronze

Framed Nautical Flag by Dettra
Located in Norwell, MA
Linen maritime flag with sturdy canvas hoist and stitched panels of yellow and red. The hoist is stamped Dettra Flag Company Incorporated. This is a US Na...
Category

1940s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Cotton

Underwood Vintage Manual Typewriter
By Underwood Universal
Located in Pasadena, TX
Underwood ” Vintage manual typewriter The Underwood Typewriter Company was a manufacturer of typewriters headquartered in New Yor...
Category

1940s North American Industrial Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Steel

Antique German Bisque Doll #152/6 "Our Baby" by Hertel Schwab for L.W & CO.
Located in Norton, MA
Antique Hertel Schwab baby doll 152/6 for Louis Wolf & Company. Measures approximately 15 inches in height. Beautiful blue glass sleep eyes with painted upper and lower lashes. Paint...
Category

1910s German Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Composition

Five Foot Mahogany and Brass Ships Wheel
Located in Norwell, MA
Exceptional sixty-four-inch mahogany ships wheel with maple inlay. Round brass medallion marked with makers name of Williamson Brothers of Philadelphia. Large solid brass hub. Note: ...
Category

1910s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Group of Five Cowboy Acoustic Guitars Including Gene Autry Melody Ranch c 1940's
Located in Milford, NH
A fun collection of mid century acoustic cowboy guitars, including two Gene Autry Melody Ranch models, circa 1940’s, some unsigned, and one hand painted with “The Plainsman” on the p...
Category

1940s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Vintage Nautical Signal Flag In Shadow Box Frame
Located in Norwell, MA
Maritime signal flag representing the letter “O”, oscar. The flag has red and yellow stitched panels with canvas hoist. Manila rope and wood toggle. Shadow...
Category

1940s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Linen

Brass Boat Compass in Varnished Wood Box
Located in Norwell, MA
Classic early twentieth century boat compass by Star Compass of Boston. The gimballed yacht compass has been meticulously polished and lacquered. This Classic marine instrument is fi...
Category

1940s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Antique German Bisque Doll #152/4 Happy Character Baby by Hertel Schwab Ric#005
Located in Norton, MA
Antique Hertel Schwab baby doll. Measures approximately 13.5 inches in height. Beautiful blue glass sleep eyes with painted upper and lower lashes. Painted eyebrows. Open mouth with ...
Category

1910s German Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Composition

Pair of Brass Field Binoculars by W. Watson &. Sons of London
Located in High Point, NC
Pair of wonderfully aged brass field binoculars with moveable brass eye shields, which help to give clearer views without additional light coming through the sides. This pair of bin...
Category

1910s English Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Art Nouveau Medusa Brooch by René Lalique - Glass & Brass
Located in Chicago, US
Embossed inscription Lalique France and company signet Note: We highly recommend shipping through 1stDibs for its cost effectiveness, full insurance coverage, and reliable handling. While standard parcel services are an option, the default quote does not include packing and insurance. 1stDibs shipping provides a level of value, protection, and care that aligns with our commitment to safeguarding historic artworks and providing excellent client service. "Few artists influenced the direction of early 20th century decorative design more than René Jules Lalique. Lalique was born in the small village of Ay in northern France in 1860, but moved with his family to Paris at the age of two. "Like many talented artists that emerged from Paris during the early 20th century, Lalique thrived in the creative epicenter of the European world, attending Collège Turgot, a premier Parisian school of the arts. After his father’s death in 1875, Lalique found employment apprenticing with jeweler Louis Aucoc, gaining experience that would lay the groundwork for his own mastery of the craft. By 1881, Lalique had transformed himself from an eager apprentice into a successful freelance jewelry designer, working for manufacturers such as Cartier and Boucheron, as well as a growing roster of private clientele including actress Sarah Bernhardt and oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian. "Lalique’s nature-inspired creations, with their soft, sensual Art Nouveau curves...
Category

1910s French Art Nouveau Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Mid Century Leather Cowboy Saddle by Simco
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Real cowboy basic well made and used leather saddle. Stamped Simco. In excellent vintage condition with normal wear and tear, no damage and the le...
Category

1940s American Adirondack Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Aluminum

Antique and Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities for Sale

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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