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Collectibles and Curiosities For Sale
Period: Mid-20th Century
Period: Early 20th Century
12 Volumes. The Brontë Sisters, Novels.
Located in New York, NY
12 Volumes. The Brontë Sisters, Novels. Thornton Edition. Bound by Root & Son in 3/4 tan morocco and linen boards, double bordered in gilt-tooling. The spines are faded to brown and ...
Category

Early 20th Century British Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

1950's ocean liner porthole with the opening window fitted with a mirror
Located in London, GB
A ship's oval porthole from the 1950's Ocean Liner MV Aureol. The hinged locking window fitted with mirror plate. From the ocean liner AUREOL built by Alexander Stephen & Sons, of ...
Category

Mid-20th Century English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

5 Volumes. George C. Williamson, Bryan's Dictionary of Painters & Engravers.
Located in New York, NY
5 Volumes. George C. Williamson, Bryan's Dictionary of Painters & Engravers. Bound in 3/4 purple morocco and linen boards, bordered in gilt-tooling. The spines display raised bands, ...
Category

Early 20th Century English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

1 Volume. Edward Fitzgerald, Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám.
Located in New York, NY
1 Volume. Edward Fitzgerald, Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. Bound in full blue morocco with the cover displaying a central floral crest in gilt-too...
Category

Early 20th Century American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

28 Volumes. Theodore Roosevelt, The Works.
Located in New York, NY
28 Volumes. Theodore Roosevelt, The Works. Elkhorn Edition. Bound in 3/4 wine Morocco and marbled boards, bordered in floral gilt-tooling. The spines di...
Category

Early 20th Century American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

2 Volumes. John Fiske, The Life and Letters.
Located in New York, NY
2 Volumes. John Fiske, The Life and Letters. Bound in 3/4 wine morocco and marbled boards, bordered in gilt-tooling. The spines display raised bands, bo...
Category

Early 20th Century American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

1 Volume. William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Located in New York, NY
1 Volume. William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream. Limited Edition. Bound by Chelsea Bindery in full blue Morocco with the cover displaying borders, titles, and a central depi...
Category

Early 20th Century English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

14 Volumes. Anthony Trollope, The Barsetshire Novels.
Located in New York, NY
14 Volumes. Anthony Trollope, The Barsetshire Novels. Shakespeare Head Edition. Bound in 3/4 brown morocco and linen boards, bordered in gilt-tooling....
Category

Early 20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

1 Volume. Gyula Krùdy, Sinbad the Sailor.
Located in New York, NY
1 Volume. Gyula Krùdy, Sinbad the Sailor. First Trade Edition. Bound by Sangorski & Sutcliffe in full orange morocco. The cover displays a depiction of a castle surrounded by water a...
Category

Early 20th Century English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

1 Volume. Nathaniel Hawthorne, Wonder Book.
Located in New York, NY
1 Volume. Nathaniel Hawthorne, Wonder Book. Limited Edition. Bound by the Chelsea Bindery in full red morocco with the cover displaying a gilt-tooled border, 3 figures including one ...
Category

Early 20th Century English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

1 Volume. Edward Fitzgerald, Rubiáiyát of Omar Khayyám.
Located in New York, NY
1 Volume. Edward Fitzgerald, Rubiáiyát of Omar Khayyám. Bound in 3/4 brown morocco and linen boards, bordered in gilt-tooling. The spines display raised bands, bordering, panel detai...
Category

Early 20th Century American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

1 Volume, T.E. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom
Located in New York, NY
1 Volume. T.E. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom. First Trade Edition. Bound in full brown morocco with gilt-tooled borders, panel details, and label lettering with raised bands. All...
Category

Early 20th Century English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

1 Volume. Edward Fitzgerald, The Rubaiyát of Omar Kháyyám.
Located in New York, NY
1 Volume. Edward Fitzgerald, The Rubaiyát of Omar Kháyyám. Bound in 3/4 red morocco and linen boards bordered in gilt-tooling. The spine displays raised bands, bordering, floral pane...
Category

Early 20th Century American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

1 Volume. Laurence Housman, Arabian Nights.
Located in New York, NY
1 Volume. Laurence Housman, Arabian Nights. Limited Edition. Bound in full vellum with the covers and spines displaying gilded and blue titles and decorative details. The top edge is...
Category

Early 20th Century English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

4 Volumes, John Milton, the Poetical Works
Located in New York, NY
4 Volumes. John Milton, The Poetical Works. Limited edition. Bound in full tan morocco with the covers displaying ornate floral open-tooled detailing and bordering. Raised bands with...
Category

Early 20th Century American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

1 Volume, Richard Burton, the Kasîdah of Hâjî Abdû El-yezdî
Located in New York, NY
1 Volume. Richard Burton, The Kasîdah of Hâjî Abdû El-Yezdî. Limited Edition. Bound by Bennett in 3/4 black morocco and marbled boards, bordered in gilt-tooling. The spines display r...
Category

Early 20th Century American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

1 Volume. W.S. Gilbert, The Bab Ballads
Located in New York, NY
1 Volume. W.S. Gilbert, The Bab Ballads. Bound by Bayntun Riviere in full brown morocco with the cover displaying a double-ruled gilt-tooled border and gilt-tooled depictions of char...
Category

Early 20th Century English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

4 Volumes. Sir Thomas Mallory, Le Morte D'Arthur
Located in New York, NY
4 Volumes. Sir Thomas Mallory, Le Morte D'Arthur. Limited Edition. Bound by Riviere in full blue morocco with the covers displaying gilt-tooled borders and open-tooled false latches ...
Category

Early 20th Century English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

1 Volume. C.S. Goldman, With General French and the Cavalry in South Africa
Located in New York, NY
1 Volume. Charles S. Goldman, With General French and the Cavalry in South Africa. Extra Illustrated Edition. Bound by Riviere in full red morocco with a rectangular onlay of navy mo...
Category

Early 20th Century English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

1 Volume. W.C. Whitney, The Whitney Stud
Located in New York, NY
1 Volume. W.C. Whitney, The Whitney Stud. Bound in 3/4 brown morocco and marbled boards. The spines display raised bands, floral panel details, bordering, and label lettering, all gi...
Category

Early 20th Century American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

1 Volume, Rudyard Kipling, Just So Stories for Little Children
Located in New York, NY
1 Volume, Rudyard Kipling, Just So Stories for Little Children. First Edition. Bound in full red morocco with raised bands and panels displaying border...
Category

Early 20th Century English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

France Art Deco Horse, 1940
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
It was exhibited in the original Miami beach antique show and Palm beach "American International Fine Art Fair (AIFAF)". Horse in wood and chrome. We ha...
Category

1940s French Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Chrome

Italy 1939s Sketch Futurist Poster "Day of Two Crosses" Against Tuberculosis
Located in Milan, IT
Sketch of the futurist poster "Day of two crosses, 16th April 1939, XVII", mixed technique of pastel and water-color, for an Italian campaign against tuberculosis, to inform people a...
Category

1930s Italian Futurist Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Bearded Vulture 'Gypaetus barbatus', II/A -Cites dd 09/03/2019
Located in Leuven , BE
A vulture is a scavenging bird of prey. The New World vultures are found in North and South America; Old World vultures are found in Europe, Africa, and Asia, meaning that between the two groups, vultures are found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. A particular characteristic of many vultures is a bald head...
Category

1910s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Organic Material

Great Bustard 'Otis tarda'
Located in Leuven , BE
This is a taxidermy of a great bustard and was made in the second half of the 20th century. The bird is mounted on a rock in a resting position with its wings next to the body.
Category

Mid-20th Century Asian Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Organic Material

Photograph of USS Wilmette Warship, Late 1918 from Glenview Naval Air Station
Located in Chicago, IL
Photographs from the Glenview Naval Air Station, Glenview Illinois. Naval warfare: USS Wilmette After the sinking of the SS Eastland, at port of Chicago, the salvage was sold to the...
Category

1920s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Machine Age Art Deco Doctors or Bathroom Floor Model Scale Weigh Master by Hanso
Located in New York, NY
Great Machine Age, American Art Deco floor scale, Weigh Master by Hanson. The scale is fully functional, it shows cosmetic wear to the paint finish, and th...
Category

1930s American Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Charles and Ray Eames Molded Plywood Leg Splint for Evans in Original Wrapper
Located in Chicago, IL
These leg splints were designed by Charles and Ray Eames and produced for the United States Navy by the Evans Products Company, molded plywood division. They're still in their origin...
Category

1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Plywood

Rare Big Adjustable Gymnastic Leather Pommel Horse, 1950s
Located in Praha, CZ
- completely good and original condition with minor damages - Czechoslovakia, around 1950s - adjustable height.   
Category

1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Steel

Original Antique Cricket Print, Circa 1900
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Great image of a young cricketer Chromo-lithograph Original colour Published C.1900 Unframed.
Category

Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Astro tripod mounted telescope by Dollond of London
Located in London, GB
A mid 20th century tripod mounted "Astro" telescope by Dollond of London. 3 inch objective lens. Mounted on a teak tripod. Marked: DOLLOND ASTRO LONDON Chrome and grey finish. I...
Category

Mid-20th Century English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Chrome

Rare Vintage Military Tank SilverLighter
Located in Van Nuys, CA
The table lighter's design captivates with an elongated tank shape reminiscent of vintage artillery shells. The textured silver surface display...
Category

1940s Mexican Machine Age Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver

Vintage Staunton Design Chess Set
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
Antique Staunton Style Chess Figures. A Staunton style chess set with wooden chess pieces with wide turned bases for added stability, and the underside of each piece being covered wi...
Category

Mid-20th Century English Edwardian Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Antique 1915 Mahogany Chicago Cable Company Carolina Inner Player Upright Piano
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique Victorian player piano by The Cable Company of Chicago which features a Carolina Inner-player. Circa 1915. Includes: I Love Paris and Oh Lady Be Good by Max Kortlander, Hey There and Mack the Knife by J Lawrence Cook, Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White by Sid Laney, If You Knew Susie Fox Trot, Bye Bye Blackbird Fox Trot, Loving You Has Made Me Bananas by Dick Watson, and two unmarked. The Cable Piano Company, Chicago established 1880 by Herman D. Cable born in New York in 1849. The Cable Piano Company was originally with the Wolfinger Organ Co., which later changed to the Western Cottage Organ Co., and then to Chicago Cottage Organ Co. In 1890 H. D. Cable consolidated with Conover Bros. and his two brothers, Fayette S. and Hobart M. Cable. Cable and Conover acquired the Schiller Piano Co. of Oregon, Ill. By 1920 The Cable Piano Co. had two factories. One factory located in Chicago at 22nd Street, Paulina and Dale Place. The second factory at St. Charles, Ill. In the 1920s George J. Dowling was president and The Cable Co. was manufacturing Conover, Cable, Kingsbury; and Wellington, and Schiller pianos. Player piano names Conover Carola Inner-Player, Conover Solo Carola Inner-Player, Carola Inner-Player, Solo Carola Inner-Player, Euphona Inner- Player, and Solo Euphona Inner-Player. “Tonarch” and “Crownstay”, trademarks of the Cable Co., Chicago. “Tonarch” a patented sounding-board-and- frame construction used in uprights and “Crownstay” designed to maintain the curvature of soundboards in grands. Other owners of the Cable Company include Aeolian with the factory at 2718 Pershing Ave., Memphis, TN., Jackson & Wabash, Chicago, Ill., and Winter & Co. The Cable Piano Company claimed to be "the world's greatest manufacturer of pianos, inner player pianos, and organs." Cable built a factory in 1901 in St. Charles on 3.5 acres west of the Fox River. Cable Piano Company became known not only for its products, but also for its working conditions. During the factory's heyday in the early 1900s, there were as many as 500 employees, many of whom were women. Employees could enjoy the company sponsored brass band and male chorus, or play on the company baseball team. With its own electric plant and fire protection...
Category

1910s Edwardian Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Mahogany

Vintage Natural Leather Punching Bag
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage punching bag with handsome, worn genuine leather. A stylish addition to a home gym, this hanging punching bag is approximately 30lbs and is in original condition with some vi...
Category

1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Steel

Royal Doulton Golf Plate, Series Ware
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
Royal Doulton Series Ware Golf plate. Royal Doulton rack plate with polychrome golf scene and the proverb, "EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY, AND EVERY MAN HIS HOUR", designed by Charles Crombie. The rear of the plate with Royal Doulton trade mark, pattern No. D3395 and '15'. Charles 'Chas' Crombie (1885 - 1967) was an illustrator whose work is well known to the collector. His pictures can be found in many forms, on postcards, calendars, in books and on Royal Doulton ceramics. Royal Doulton Golf...
Category

1910s English Sporting Art Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Ceramic

Rhodes, James Ford, History of the United States, 7 Vols, in a Fine Binding
Located in Hillsborough, NJ
AUTHOR: RHODES, James Ford. TITLE: History Of The United States From The Compromise of 1850 To The Final Restoration Of Home Rule At The South In 1877. PUBLISHER: NY: The Macm...
Category

1910s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

Brass Lorgnettes 'Long-Handled Opera Glasses' Mid-Century Italian Design 1930s
Located in Palermo, IT
A splendid pair of 'lorgnettes' (long-handled opera, or theatre, glasses). Lorgnettes, eye glasses held in place by long handles rather than resting on the bridge of one's nose, were...
Category

1930s Italian Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Antique Fine Handcarved Oak Gothic Revival Wall Shrine / Chapel for Statuette
Located in Lisse, NL
Rare and good condition, Gothic-art shrine for standing or wall-hanging. This handsome and decorative, Gothic wall shrine is completely hand-crafted out of solid oak and it will look awesome, no matter where you decide to mount or place her. It must have taken its creator quite a few days to first draw this intricate design on paper and then hand carve the entire piece out of solid oak. The Gothic Style elements are deeply handcarved in both doors and they make this shrine highly decorative and an absolute joy to own and look at. This cabinet chapel (or chapel cabinet) comes with its brass lock in perfect working order and also with its original gothic style key. The handgrip is in fact a Gothic trefoil symbol (for the trinity). What also makes this piece extra attractive is the Gothic church window-like frame behind the doors. It is among the finest we have seen to date and on top of that this antique also has a beautiful and rich patina. By the way, the bronze Mary statuette is not included in our price. Finally, thanks to the hook in the back, mounting this antique chapel...
Category

Early 20th Century French Gothic Revival Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

1930s Elastolin Farm / Yard. 65 pc. O&M Hausser.. Antique toy, made in Germany
Located in Buffalo, NY
Rare 1930s Elastolin Farm / Yard. over 65 pc. O&M Hausser.. Antique toys, made in Germany,,Over 50 year collection. Amazing Early Elastolin Farm comprising of two houses,, several a...
Category

1930s German Country Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Composition

Antique Hand Carved Gothic Revival Wall Bracket or Shelf for a Saint Statue
Located in Lisse, NL
Good size and great looking Gothic Revival bracket for displaying a statuette. This Gothic console for wall mounting dates from the early 1900s and it has the most timeless design a...
Category

Early 1900s European Gothic Revival Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Raymond Loewy Designed Nordmende Spectra Futura Transistor Radio in Red & Orange
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Nordmende Design Center collaborated in the late 1960's with renowned American designer Raymond Loewy, who created iconic designs like the Coca-Cola bottle and Lucky Strike pack. Collaborating with the American designer was an excellent choice. The device that was the result. the Spectra Futura...
Category

1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Antique French Woven Colored Wicker Suitcase, basket
Located in Antwerp, BE
Antique French woven colored wicker - reed - cane little suitcase or basket. A Belle Epoque - Antique piece made of cane, finished with leather edges, leather with metal handle and a...
Category

Early 20th Century French Belle Époque Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Travertine Animals; Elephant, Anteater, Hippo, & Rhino, Flli Mannelli for Raymor
Located in Miami, FL
Midcentury collection of animals rendered in carved travertine designed by Flli Mannelli for Raymor, Italy, 1960s,
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Travertine

small Antique Catholic Reliquary Box Crucifix Pendant with Relics of Saints
Located in Nuernberg, DE
This antique reliquary contains relics of Saints. It is hand made of metal and wood. Perfect as a pendant for a rosary. This is a 3rd class relic. For a better understanding, Relics ...
Category

1930s Italian Art Nouveau Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Antique & Rare Pair of Church Brackets for Saint Statues with Angel Sculptures
Located in Lisse, NL
All handcrafted and matching pair of colorful & meaningful church wall brackets / shelfs. If you are a private collector of ecclesiastical art or if you are looking for the perfect ...
Category

Early 20th Century European Gothic Revival Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wrought Iron

Tin Spinning Top Toy , Disney Characters by LBZ, Western Germany
Located in Antwerp, BE
Vintage Tin spinning top toy with lots of Walt Disney characters: Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Pluto, Donald Duck. This Tin Toy was produced in Weste...
Category

Mid-20th Century German Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Tin

Vintage Style Ski Photography, Framed Alpine Ski Photograph, Matterhorn & Skiers
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
Vintage style ski photography, framed Alpine ski photograph, Matterhorn & Skiers. 'MATTERHORN & SKIERS', a modern framed and mounted bla...
Category

1930s English Sporting Art Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood, Paper

Alpine Ski Photograph, 'Panoramic View', Taken from Original 1930s Photograph
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
Vintage, antique Alpine Ski photograph. 'Panoramic View', a new mounted black and white photographic image after an original 1930s skiing photograph. Black and white alpine photos are the perfect addition to any home or ski lodge, so please do check out our other ski photos...
Category

1930s English Sporting Art Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Set Of 3 Miniature Amber And Silver Harley Davidson Style Motor Bikes
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Set of 3 Miniature Amber and Silver Harley Davidson Style Motor Bikes 925 stamped silver.
Category

1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver

Mid-Century Era Eko Vox Teardrop Mark 6 Hollow Body 6 String Electric Guitar
By VOX
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This Mid-Century era semi-hollow body teardrop guitar was made by EKO of Italy for VOX in approximately 1967 and done in the period style. The model is not indicated anywhere on the ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Climax Streamline 1930s American Art Deco Train Car Ashtray and Drink Stand
Located in Buffalo, NY
W.J. Campbell designed this art deco cocktail smoker in 1934 for the Climax Machinery Company of Indianapolis. The smoke stand and ashtray feature a circular ring which doubles as a ...
Category

1930s American Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal, Copper, Steel, Chrome

1920s 35 Zeiss-Ikon 35 Cm Cinema Projector
Located in London, GB
A late 1920s 35 mm Zeiss-Ikon cinema projector. Lens: Neokino 52.5/110 by Emil Busch A.-G. Rathenow. Original black paint. Lamp house contain...
Category

Early 20th Century German Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass, Steel, Iron

Royal Doulton Golf Jug, Series Ware
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
Royal Doulton series ware golf jug. Royal Doulton jug with polychrome golf scene and the proverb, "PROMISE LITTLE AND DO MUCH. HE THAT ALWAYS COMPLAINS, IS NEVER PITIED", designed by Charles Crombie. The bottom of the jug with Royal Doulton trade mark and '23'. Charles 'Chas' Crombie (1885 - 1967) was an illustrator whose work is well known to the collector. His pictures can be found in many forms, on postcards, calendars, in books and on Royal Doulton ceramics. Royal Doulton Golf...
Category

1910s English Sporting Art Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Ceramic

1968 Walnut Yamaha G0 Baby Grand Piano Excellent Soundboard
Located in Long Branch, NJ
​Gorgeous 1968 Walnut Yamaha G0 Baby Grand Piano Excellent Soundboard Dimensions : 4'7" Long X 58.5" Wide X 38.5" Tall Gorgeous Yamaha made in Japan in 1968 The soundboard is in gr...
Category

1960s Japanese Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Walnut

Six Kobe Toys, Japanese, Meiji Period, circa 1900
By Kobe Toys
Located in Incline Village, NV
Kobe Toys are very mysterious and not much is known about them. They were created and hand made during the Meiji period in Japan, which covered the years 1868...
Category

Early 1900s Japanese Folk Art Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Ebony

Antique, Snooker, Billiard Cue Rack
By Orme & Sons 1
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
Orme & Sons Mahogany Cue Stand. A fine quality mahogany billiard / snooker cue rack raised on three bun feet with a central turned pillar. The stand is designed to hold twelve cues, ...
Category

Mid-20th Century British Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Mahogany

Art Deco Shagreen and Silver Cigarette / Small Cigar Case
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
Exquisite shagreen cigar case with silver collar. Expands for differing lengths of small cigar or cigarettes. Made in the U.K. in the 1900-1920´s. It has the stamp of the retail sho...
Category

Early 20th Century British Art Deco Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Shagreen

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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