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Collectibles and Curiosities For Sale
Native American Beadwork Gauntlets with an Chief, ca 1880-90
Located in York County, PA
Native American beadwork gauntlets with Indian Chiefs in feathered headdresses, probably souix, Ca 1880-90 Native American beadwork gauntlet...
Category

Late 19th Century American Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

Two-Tone Enamel Lighter & Cigarette "Slide-A-Lite Lighter/Case" by Marathon
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Text on bottom: Trademark MARATHON Made in U.S.A. 4 1/4" x 2 5/8" x 5/8"
Category

1950s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Enamel

Rare Pierre Cardin Pop Art Futuristic Ambiance Phone
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Rare and highly collectable Pop Art futuristic Ambiance phone.
Category

1980s Taiwanese Futurist Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Plastic

Guitar: the Shape of Sound
Located in New York, NY
As seen in Harper’s Bazaar UK, Guitar World, and Design Week The 100 most iconic guitars from around the globe, from early modern beginnings to cutting-edge electric models The guitar is the iconic instrument at the heart of all popular music. From Delta blues on acoustics to electric rock & roll, and all that came in its wake, the guitar has proven the most versatile and emotive conduit for musical expression and experimentation. Across more than 300 years, master guitar-makers have striven continually for new sculptural and aural peaks, yet the guitar's immediacy and intimacy endures, however loud the volume controls on the amplifiers are turned. With 100 of the finest and most innovative models of guitar from the 17th century to the present day alongside the players who changed the face of popular music, Guitar includes fascinating stories behind iconic models from an eclectic mix of brands, including Alden, D'Angelico, Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, Ibanez, Kay, Martin, Millimetric Instruments, Mosrite, Greg Smallman, and Stauffer. The book also includes a wealth of fascinating and lesser known information about enigmatic performers including the Beatles, Woody Guthrie, Jimi Hendrix, Robert Johnson, Pat...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

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 Vict...
Category

Late 19th Century British Victorian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Distressed Caucasian Rug With A Tribal Design In Rust, Dark Blue, And Cream
Located in New York, NY
An antique Caucasian Kazak rug from the early 20th century. The warm madder red field is divided into four rectangular panels, each with a central motif radiating four serrated leave...
Category

Early 20th Century Caucasian Tribal Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wool

Colt Handgun Lighter, 1980s Japan
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This handsome lighter is cast in the shape of a Colt Combat Commander handgun. Perfect for any collector of smoking paraphernalia or firearm enthusiast. Relieved lettering on the rig...
Category

1970s Japanese Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Antique c1920s Tube Radio Stunning American Walnut Cabinet Lift Top Table MINT
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Antique c1920s Tube Radio Stunning American Walnut Cabinet Lift Top Table MINT.
Category

20th Century American Art Deco Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Walnut

Art Deco Silver Cigarette Case by Deakin & Francis, 1930s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Art Deco Silver Cigarette Case realized by Deakin & Francis in 1930s. Made in Birmingham, UK Sterling silver. Hallmarks inside. Very good condition.
Category

1930s British Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver

Marble Chess Board
Located in New York, NY
A substantial black and red burgundy marble chess or checkers game board (less the game pieces.) Board makes a great decorative object or can even be used for entertaining (trivet, s...
Category

Mid-20th Century European Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Marble

Antique The Standard Computing Scale Co Dry Goods General Store Countertop Scale
By Standard Computing Scale Co.
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique The Standard Computing Scale Co. Porcelain Enamel Dry Goods General Store Scale with Beveled Glass Mirrors. Circa Early 20th Century. Measurements: 30" H x 18" W x 20" D.
Category

Early 20th Century Unknown Art Deco Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Pair of 19th Century Country House Naval Canons
Located in Folkestone, GB
A magnificent pair of full size replica 19th Century naval canons. These full size '3-pound' ship' canons are replicas of the 17th and 18th Century guns that would have lined the s...
Category

Late 19th Century Portuguese Country Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Iron

A Spanish Silver-Plated Crucifix, 19th Century
Located in ARMADALE, VIC
A Spanish Silver-Plated Crucifix, 19th Century Provenance: Casa Santapola, S.L., Ronda (Málaga), November 2018. Description: Each crossbar with floral band terminating in f...
Category

19th Century Spanish Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver Plate

Vintage Blue & Gold Notre Dame University "Fighting Irish" Wool Stadium Blanket
Located in San Diego, CA
Super cool vintage blue and gold Notre Dame University "Fighting Irish" wool stadium blanket, circa 1970s. The blanket is 100% thick navy blue wool with a subtle gold edge trim and t...
Category

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

Materials

Wool

Antique Gothic Hand-Carved Crucifix w. Polychrome Corpus, European Church Relic
Located in Lisse, NL
Gothic Revival hand-carved crucifix with original polychrome, 19th Century European ecclesiastical ART. An exquisite and spiritually moving 19th-century fine hand-carved oakwood cru...
Category

1890s French Arts and Crafts Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood, Oak, Paint

Vintage Pierre Cardin Abstract Futuristic Modernist Bangle Cuff, 1960s
By Thierry Mugler, Paco Rabanne, Pierre Cardin
Located in San Diego, CA
Wonderful abstract bangle cuff. All in enameled chromium metal by Pierre Cardin haute couture - iconic and sculptural, this bangle is from the height of Cardin's creative output, 'Fu...
Category

1960s French Futurist Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Glass Houses
Located in New York, NY
An inspiring collection of 50 spectacular houses built almost entirely from glass Glass Houses presents 50 stunning architect-designed homes that utilize glass to maximum effect. Th...
Category

2010s Chinese Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Glass Houses
Glass Houses
$50 / item
Monumental Framed Medieval Facsimile Map Of The World Fra Mauro Wood Wall Panel
Located in Forney, TX
A remarkable palatial nearly 7.5ft x 7.5ft facsimile of the important Map of the World (circa 1450) by Fra MauroFra Mauro (Italian; circa 1400–1464), featuring a solid wood framed hi...
Category

Early 20th Century Medieval Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Linen, Wood, Paper

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

Miami: Trends and Traditions Hardcover Book by Beth Dunlop and Roberto Schezen
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Miami: Trends and Traditions Hardcover Book by Beth Dunlop and Roberto Schezen.Miami: Trends and Traditions is the first volume in a series of books documenting significant architectural interiors and important houses - both familiar and seldom seen - in favorite cities around the globe.Photographer Roberto Schezen, together with architectural critic Beth Dunlop, explores Miami's great architectural treasures, from well-known landmarks, including Vizcaya, the Morris Lapidus apartment, and the Delano Hotel...
Category

Late 20th Century American Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Nicole Hollis: Artistry of Home
Located in New York, NY
Nicole Hollis: Artistry of Home Author Nicole Hollis, Introduction by David Wiseman, Photographs by Douglas Friedman Celebrated for her “delightfully el...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Carroll, Lewis. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland [together with] Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. London: Macmillan & Co. Ltd., 1959, 1955. Illustrated by John ...
Category

1950s English Victorian Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather, Paper

French Pair World War i Brass Thistle & Cross of Lorraine Shells Casing
Located in Labrit, Landes
Antique French pair of shell casings from the World War I Very typical of this war because the freedom of Alsace and Lorraine was one of the many issues at stake in this confrontati...
Category

Early 20th Century French French Provincial Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

De Coene Furniture Music Box and Speakers, Blue Tooth
Located in Antwerp, BE
Beautiful collectors De Coene 50s sideboard with renewed built-in stereo Bluetooth installation and original 50s Philips speakers in perfect working condition, it fills your interior with the sound you love. A beautiful piece of furniture made of walnut wood and brass elements. The doors can be fully folded out sideways and the sideboard is also equipped with wheels so that it can be moved while rolling. The black and white 50s Philips TV...
Category

1950s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Glass, Wood

1950s Dutch Industrial Scientific Convex Lens Brass Stand Cast Iron Tripod Base
Located in Haarlem, NL
Scientific school or laboratory convex shaped lens on a brass stand with cast iron tripod base. The heavy convex glass lens is 7 1/2 cm (2.95") th...
Category

1950s Dutch Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal, Brass, Iron

Antique Russian Fiery Ascension of the Prophet Elijah Rare 5 Color Enamel Icon
Located in New York, NY
A rare Russian five color polychrome enamel bronze travel icon depicting scenes from the life of the Prophet Elijah including the Fiery Ascension. The border in cornflower blue enamel and scrolled foliate elements topped by the Old Slavonic inscription- Obraz Sviatovo Proroka Ulii- Image of the Holy Prophet Elijah. In the upper left corner is of the hand of God on a white enamel background signifying the clouds. To the right is the Fiery Ascension of Elijah with his dynamic winged horses on a background of finely hand chased flames with stylized wind gusts. The Prophet holds the reigns in his right hand and reaches out with his left to his follower Elisha with a mantle for the parting of the waters of the river Jordan. The river Jordan takes center stage in the icon as a dramatic element - a wide swath of flowing waves with the scenes from the life of Elijah depicted to its left: The Prophet Elijah in the wilderness; Elijah hides in the desert and is fed by an Angel; and Elijah and Elisha crossing the river Jordan parted by Elijah's mantle. This scarce icon is especially significant for the Old Believers tradition. The Old Believers were the chief makers of bronze icons, created by using fire rather than painted by hand. The veneration of the Prophet Elijah, who through his sacrifice, was able to call for fire from heaven manifests a special connection for the sect. Fire, ogon in Russian, was viewed as a purifier and a link to the Last Judgement and the end of the world. Polychrome enamel icons...
Category

19th Century Russian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Bronze, Enamel

Afredo Barbini Venetian, Murano Glass Cigarette Three Piece Set.
Located in Soquel, CA
This is a magnificent 1950/60's Venetian freeform biomorphic glass tiny bubbles bowl / ashtray cigarette cup and lighter paperweight, made on the island of Murano, near Venice, Italy...
Category

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

Materials

Art Glass

Moorish Persian Inlaid Micro Mosaic Backgammon and Chess Board
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Moroccan Moorish Persian Inlaid Micro Mosaic Backgammon and Chess Board. Intricately inlaid handcrafted Moorish Persian backgammon and chess checker...
Category

Mid-20th Century Turkish Moorish Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Fruitwood

Alfred Dunhill Gold Plated RollGas Cigarette Lighter with Box and Papers
Located in Reading, Berkshire
Alfred Dunhill Gold Plated Briquet Rollagas Cigarette Lighter Vintage boxed Dunhill lighter with booklet stamped at purchase 1988 Stamped Dunhill and Swiss Made on base.
Category

1980s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Gold Plate

Antique "No. 3 Folding Pocket Kodak, Model AB" Camera c.1900
Located in San Francisco, CA
ABOUT The Kodak No.3 Model AB is an early model. The body of camera is all leather with a leather handle and unique leather covered lens. it folds smoothly closed to 1.75 inches. ...
Category

Early 20th Century Art Deco Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Lindbergh, Charles a., "We", 1927, First Edition, with the Dj & Signed
Located in Hillsborough, NJ
AUTHOR: LINDBERGH, Charles A. TITLE: "WE". PUBLISHER: NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1927. DESCRIPTION: SIGNED FIRST EDITION. 1 vol., signed by Lindbergh on the title-page, illustr...
Category

1920s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Fabric

Russian Gardner Porcelain Chess Set
By Francis Gardner
Located in Delft, NL
Francis Gardner porcelain chess set A Russian chess set in Caricature, representing the Czarist Army, 1970s. Made by the Porcelain factory "Gardn...
Category

20th Century Russian Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood, Porcelain

Vintage Leather and Horse Hair Boxing Gloves c.1950-1960
Located in San Francisco, CA
ABOUT Vintage reddish brown leather boxing gloves filled with horse hair and an extra padding strip on the palms. The leather is very soft and in good condition. CREATOR Unknow...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Industrial Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather, Natural Fiber

A Golfer's Life by Arnold Palmer and James Dodson, Signed by Palmer, 1st Ed.
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Palmer, Arnold, with James Dodson. A Golfer’s Life. New York: Ballantine Books, 1999. First edition. Signed and inscribed by Arnold Palmer on the half title pager. In publisher's ori...
Category

1990s American Mid-Century Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Brutalist Mixed Metal Artisan Handbag ca 1970s
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Circa 1970. We offer this Brutalist Mixed Metal Artisan Handbag. This unique handmade bag is adorned with sinuous three dimensional mixed metal work designs.
Category

1970s Mexican Brutalist Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass, Copper

Small wooden wall barometer in the shape of a six-ankle rudder 1950s
Located in Milan, IT
Small wood and brass wall-mounted aneroid barometer in the shape of a six-ankle rudder. Signed SB Smiths British Made Instrument of the 1950s. This is an instrument whose pressure-s...
Category

Mid-20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

19th Century French White Pony Tricycle
Located in Chicago, IL
A 19th century French velocipede of a white pony, the horse of polychromed wood with horsehair mane and set upon an iron tricycle. Deaccessioned from the MacLean Collection of Asian...
Category

19th Century French French Provincial Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Iron

Antique Bauhaus Wooden Baby Walker
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Circa 1940. We offer this rare Antique Bauhaus Wooden Baby Walker, great vintage conditions.
Category

1940s Mexican Bauhaus Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Plywood

Colibri Original Swiss Made Lift-Arm Pocket Lighter, 1928
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Colibri was founded in 1928 by Julius Lowenthal, who in the same year, invented the world's first working semi-automatic lighter known as the Colibri "Original". This vintage Swiss-m...
Category

1920s Swiss Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Gold

Unique Pair of Arts & Crafts Brass and Copper Church Pedestals, Columns / Stands
Located in Lisse, NL
Identical, practical and quality crafted pair of adjustable pedestals. This top quality pair of former Church stands was all hand-crafted around the turn of the century. This is als...
Category

Early 20th Century Dutch Arts and Crafts Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Copper, Brass

Small Size Antique Handcrafted and Carved Pine and Oak Home Wall Christ Crucifix
Located in Lisse, NL
Another finely detailed early 1900s carved crucifix and corpus of Christ. This sacred and religious work of art is a hand-carved out of pinewood Christ mounted on an oak cross and t...
Category

Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Oak, Pine

Vintage Floor Ashtray Stand - Hollywood Regency Style - Bass and Onyx
Located in Casteren, Noord-Brabant
A beautiful vintage floor ashtray, made of brass, with beautiful onyx elements. The ashtray has a turning system, when you press the top button, the bowl in the middle turns around a...
Category

1960s Belgian Hollywood Regency Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Onyx, Metal, Brass

Contemporary Pharmaceutical (Paxipam) Phrenology Bust / Head Paperweight
Located in San Diego, CA
A really cool contemporary pharmaceutical (Paxipam) phrenology bust / head paperweight, circa 2000s. The model is in very good vintage condition and measures 2.5"W x2.5"D x 4.5"H.. ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Lladro Limited Edition of Lady in Love and Flowers for Goddess Woman, Retired
Located in Plainview, NY
A set of two LLadro figurines. One is " Lady in Love" figurine #6712. The figurine is in mint condition was issued in 2000 and retired in 2004. The sec...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Porcelain

Dupont Ligne 2 Lacquer American Art Deco (Chrysler Building) Lighter
Located in Norwood, NJ
This is a limited edition S.T Dupont Ligne 2 Lacquer American Art Deco (Chrysler Building) Lighter. Since the beginning of the 20th Century, Art Deco has influenced many areas of des...
Category

Late 20th Century French Art Deco Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Gold Plate

Culpeper Compound Microscope
Located in New Orleans, LA
Compound Monocular Microscope Edmund Culpeper Circa 1730 This extraordinary early 18th-century microscope is a museum-worthy example of scientific innovation and craftsmanship made ...
Category

18th Century English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Antique Walking Silve Plated Cane Stick 19th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a beautiful antique English silver plated pommel walking stick, circa 1880 in date. The striking stick features an ornate silver plated ornate tree trunk pommel having on a...
Category

1880s English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver Plate

Rare Sikes’ Hydrometer (Alcohol Proof Tester) Set Atkey & Son, Cowes, C. 1830
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Sikes’ Hydrometer Set by Atkey & Son, Cowes, Circa 1830 A superb and complete 19th-century Sikes’ hydrometer set, by Atkey & Son of Cowes, a noted English maker of fine scientific i...
Category

Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Amazônia, SUMO, Limited Edition Signed Book & Exclusive Renzo Piano Bookstand
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Collector’s Edition Book (No. 401–2,400), numbered and signed by Sebastião Salgado, with corresponding bookstand designed by Renzo Piano exclusively f...
Category

2010s European Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Steel

Vintage Coastal Monumental Hand Carved Gigas Clam Shell
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Bring a powerful force of nature into your interior with this magnificent, large-scale clam shell bowl. Masterfully hand-carved from a substantial piece of wood, this monumental scul...
Category

Late 20th Century American Organic Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Pair 19th Century Victorian Eastlake Free Mason Throne Chairs w/ Symbolism
Located in Savannah, GA
Victorian Eastlake large upholstered solid oak throne chairs from Masonic Lodge with lots of detailed carving. The pair consists of one with the plumb bob sy...
Category

1880s American Eastlake Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Velvet, Oak

c1920's French Art Deco World Globe on Pedestal
Located in Opa Locka, FL
c1920's French Art Deco Worl Globe On Pedestal. Rare form, this globe stands beautifully on this original base.
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Vintage Croquet Set on Stand
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
F.H. Ayres Croquet Set On Original Jaques Stand. A fabulous garden croquet set with boxwood mallets, two with brass banding, two without. The mallets are stamped F.H. Ayres and come ...
Category

1890s British Edwardian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

1940s Vintage Vornado Antique Electric Powerful Metal Desk Table Fan
Located in Chula Vista, CA
1940s Vornado vintage antique electric fan powerful and silent. Art Deco era electric table desk top fan with modern industrial design. Has one ...
Category

1940s Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

19th-Century French Floor Safe
Located in New Orleans, LA
French Floor Safe Magaud de Charf Circa 1830 A marvel of mechanical ingenuity and exceptional craftsmanship, this fully functioning French hobnail safe represents one of the most se...
Category

19th Century French Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Iron

Rare English Silver-Gilt Book-Form Chess and Backgammon Game Board, circa 1976
Located in Queens, NY
Rare English silver-gilt book-form chess and backgammon game board, circa 1976. This exceptional and rare solid silver chess board converts into a backgammon board and can also be placed in a bookshelf to add more opulence. (3 in 1). This was most definitely a private commissioned piece by the House of Garrard...
Category

20th Century British Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver

LARGE GUNNER'S POWDER HORN Naval - French, late 18th century.
Located in TEYJAT, FR
Original Large French Gunner's Powder Horn, Naval - French, late 18th century. Of large size used to load cannons aboard ship. With fitted wooden plug and brass dispensing spout. T...
Category

19th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Horn, Wood

Vintage Rolling Stones 1989 Steel Wheels Canadian Tour T-Shirt
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Original blue vintage t-shirt from the steel wheels Tour, Canada, 1989. In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use.   
Category

1980s Canadian Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Fabric

Vintage Model 6S254 Console Radio by Zenith
Located in Dekalb, IL
c. 1930s; Zenith Radio Corp. - Chicago, IL Incredible and gorgeous prewar radio by Zenith with impressive contrasting woodwork. We truly don't know which is more impressive, however...
Category

1930s American Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Pliny, Gaius Secundus: HISTORIE OF THE WORLD
Located in Middletown, NY
A rare and complete first English edition of this seminal work. Pliny, Gaius Secundus / Plinius, Gaius Secundus (23­-79 AD) / Translated by Philemon Holland. The Historie of the Wor...
Category

Early 17th Century English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather, Paper

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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Ahoy! You’ve Never Seen a Collection of Sailor Art and Kitsch Quite Like This

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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.

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