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Collectibles and Curiosities For Sale
Period: 18th Century and Earlier
Period: Early 1700s
18th 1st Edition of "New Art of Cooking" in Spanish by Juan Altamiras
Located in Miami, FL
18th First Edition of "New Art of Cooking" in Spanish with skin flap. Traditional recipes of Spanish gastronomy
Category

Mid-18th Century Spanish Baroque Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Animal Skin, Paper

Aedium Farnesiarum Tabulae, Annibale CARRACCI, 1753 - oversized folio
Located in Middletown, NY
Carracci's frescoes at Palazzo Farnese in Rome Rome: Venantius Monaldinus, 1753. First Edition. Oversized folio, 17 1/4 x 12 inches (438 x 304 mm); half title, engraved portrait o...
Category

Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Gold Leaf

Oil on copper, 17th century. “Saint Mary of Egypt, Penitent“
Located in Madrid, ES
Oil on Copper — "Saint Mary of Egypt, Penitent," Spanish or Flemish School, 17th Century A captivating oil on copper painting depicting Saint Mary of Egypt, dating from the 17th cen...
Category

17th Century European Baroque Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Copper

16th-Century Map of the Ottoman Empire and Near East: Turcici Imperii Descriptio
Located in Langweer, NL
Title: Original 16th-Century Map of the Ottoman Empire and Near East: *Turcici Imperii Descriptio* by Ortelius, 1571 This rare copperplate engraving, Turcici Imperii Descriptio, i...
Category

16th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Old Detailed Trade Route and Shipping Map from Italy to the Low Countries, c1671
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map of Italy titled 'Carta Nova accurata del Passagio et strada dalli Peis Bassi per via de Allemgna per Italia et per via di Pesi Suizeri a Geenea, Lione et Roma (..)'. Detailed trade route and shipping map...
Category

17th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Four 18th Century Vellum Covered Latin Books
Located in Hudson, NY
These four books printed in Latin are covered in beautiful old vellum covers and spines. Each book contains text, margin commentary and pictorial illustration to the fronts pages. All but one is from the same library with like beautifully embossed bindings and like blue colored paper borders. These three had at one point clasp binders now gone or in a damaged state. The final book is vellum bound but not in embossed covers and spines. Condition Disclosure: While we do our best to carefully inspect and give a full report on the condition of any item we sell, pointing out any repairs or alterations that may have been done to the best of our knowledge, as is the case with any antique and vintage item, there is a possibility that at some point in the life of the piece that there may have been damaged which has been professionally repaired and as such a repair undetectable, it is therefore impossible for us to disclose... we recommend that you also read and agree to the 1st dibs user agreement...
Category

18th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Healing of the Paralytic. Oil on panel. Castilian School, 16th century.
Located in Madrid, ES
Healing of the Paralytic. Oil on panel. Castilian School, 16th century. Partially rebuilt. A religious scene set in a prestigious interior, made of two-tone stone, depicting a ser...
Category

16th Century Spanish Renaissance Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Other

Inverary Set of Fifteen Leather Bound Books
Located in New York, NY
Inverary set of fifteen leather bound books. The Annual Register or A View of the History, Politics, and Literature for the year comprising the years 1765-1792: volume 8, 9, 10, 11,...
Category

18th Century English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather, Paper

Prie-Dieu or Oratory in Walnut and Burl Walnut, circa 1600
Located in Brussels, Brussels
Elegant oratory or prieu dieu (prayer Kneeler) in walnut and burr walnut from northern Italy circa 1600 Very beautiful Italian Renaissance furniture...
Category

16th Century Italian Renaissance Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Walnut

Goldsmith's Almanack for the Year of Our Lord God M.DCC.LXXXIV. 1784
Located in Middletown, NY
Goldsmith, John An Almanack for the Year of Our Lord God M.DCC.LXXXIV. 1784 London: Company of Stationers, 1784 48mo, 4 x 2 1/2 in. (113 x 53 mm); pp. 48 + blank pages for each mont...
Category

18th Century English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Gold Leaf

Late 18th Century Lacquered Brass Table Telescope
Located in Huntington, NY
Late 18th century lacquered brass table telescope.
Category

Late 18th Century English George III Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

17th Century Alpine Tabernacle from Hautes-Alpes, France
Located in Dallas, TX
Most likely originating in the Queyras valley of France, this Alpine tabernacle was hand-carved from mountain pine in the 1600s. The Queyras is located in the Hautes-Alpes department...
Category

17th Century French Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal, Iron

1601 Miniature Map of Southeast Asia & Nova Guinea by Ortelius, Vrients Edition
Located in Langweer, NL
This miniature map of the East Indies and Nova Guinea was created by Abraham Ortelius and published in 1601 as part of the "Epitome" by Giovanni Battista Vrients. It is a finely hand...
Category

Early 1600s Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Four Antique Italian Extreme Erotica Hand Painted Pottery Tiles of Monks & Nuns
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This set of four antique hand painted pottery tiles are all unsigned, so no specific artist can be identified, but are presumed to have be...
Category

Late 18th Century Italian Neoclassical Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Pottery

18th Century mahogany and brass telescope by Nairne & Blunt of London
Located in Martlesham, GB
18th Century mahogany and brass telescope by Nairne & Blunt of London, having a mahogany barrel with a thumb wheel to the side of the main barrel, supported on a solid brass tripod s...
Category

1780s British Georgian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Mahogany

Ptolemy III Bronze Double-Sided Coin 94.5 gr
Located in Newmanstown, PA
This is one of the largest ancient coins ever. Very rare and hard to find. It is in an excellent condition with a lot of details showing. The coin is about 44.5 millimeters wide and ...
Category

15th Century and Earlier Egyptian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Bronze

Christ with angel. Oil on canvas. 18th century.
Located in Madrid, ES
Christ with angel. Oil on canvas. 18th century. The painting depicts Christ, dressed, supported by the shoulders or back by an angel, both figures situated in an indeterminate space...
Category

18th Century Spanish Neoclassical Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Other

Rare Antique Greek Orthodox Touching of Thomas Rondel Icon, 18th-19th Century
Located in New York, NY
Scarce subject, antique Greek Orthodox hand painted rondel icon depicting the Touching of Thomas or Doubting Thomas Late 18th- early 19th century The first Sunday after Easter comme...
Category

18th Century Greek Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Rare RM Jewish Judaea Silver Tetradrachm AD 134–135 Hadrian Jewish Uprising
Located in New York, NY
This is a rare and historically significant Roman Provincial silver tetradrachm, minted in Jerusalem during AD 134–135, under the rule of Emperor Hadrian. Struck at the height of the...
Category

15th Century and Earlier Israeli Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver

William Shakespeare, Othello, the Moor of Venice, a Tragedy, 1695 Sixth Edition
Located in Hillsborough, NJ
"But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve" AUTHOR: SHAKESPEARE, William. TITLE: Othello, The Moor of Venice. A Tragedy. As it hath divers times Acted at the Globe, and at the Black-Friers: and now at the Theatre Royal,... PUBLISHER: London: for Richard Bentley, 1695. DESCRIPTION: SIXTH EDITION. (ii)76pp., complete, quarto, 8-5/8" x 6-1/4", several leaves with untrimmed bottom edges, some toning and foxing to pages, closed tear to F2 mended without loss, a few headlines slightly trimmed but generally good wide margins, ex-libris Viscount Mersey of Bignor Park with book label...
Category

1690s British Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

Hand-colored 16th century copy of the famous Moerentorf Bible
By Henry Moret
Located in ZWIJNDRECHT, NL
Publisher: Daniel Vervliet and Hendrik Swingen for Jan I Moretus & Jan I van Keerberghen Place / Date: Antwerp, 1599 Biblia sacra. Dat is de geheele heylighe schrifture bed...
Category

16th Century Belgian Baroque Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood, Paper

Authentic Greek Apollonia Pontika AR Drachm Coin & 22-Karat Gold Custom Pendant
Located in Atlanta, GA
An authentic Greek Apollonia Pontika, AR Drachm Coin (Thrace, circa 450-400 BC), set in a round 22-karat gold bezel with 22-karat gold bail. The obvers...
Category

15th Century and Earlier Greek Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Gold, Silver

Gorgeous Antique World Map by the Dutch Mapmaker Visscher, published circa 1679
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Novissima Totius Terrarum Orbis Tabula, Auctore Nicolao Visscher'. Gorgeous example of Nicholas Visscher's World map, which appeared...
Category

Late 17th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

17th Century Wrought Iron Nuremberg Antique Miniature Strongbox Casket
Located in Carimate, Como
European miniature strongbox, dated circa 1600-1700. This little special piece has a beautiful metal color with patina of time and amazingly rich decorations, characterized especiall...
Category

Mid-17th Century European Baroque Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Iron

18th Century Indo Portuguese Altar
Located in West Hollywood, CA
A stunning 18th Century Indo-Portuguese altar from Goa. This is in wonderful condition with its original surface and paintings.
Category

18th Century Indian Other Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood, Paint

Ancient Byzantine Bronze Double-Sided Engraved Reliquary Cross, 9th-12th Century
Located in New York, NY
Fine engraved double-sided Byzantine bronze reliquary cross, 9th-12th Century AD Excellent original patina Composed of two parts hinged at the top an...
Category

15th Century and Earlier European Medieval Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Bronze

Pair of Outstanding 17th Century Italian Polychromed Musician Statues
Located in Round Top, TX
An outstanding pair of 17th century musician statues from the Siena region of Italy. These grand scale figures are masterly crafted in wood with their...
Category

Early 17th Century Italian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Celestial Table Globe, Charles-François Delamarche, Paris, 1791
Located in Milano, IT
Celestial table globe Charles-François Delamarche Paris, 1791 It measures: 17.13 in in height, Ø max 27.7 in; the sphere Ø 7.09 in (h 43.5 cm x Ø max 27.7 cm; the sphere Ø 18 cm). W...
Category

1790s French Other Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Original Antique Map of Ancient Greece- Boeotia, Thebes, 1787
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Great map of Ancient Greece. Showing the region of Boeotia, including Thebes Drawn by J.D. Barbie Du Bocage Copper plate engraving by P.F T...
Category

1780s French Other Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

"Africa Vetus": a 17th Century Hand-Colored Map by Sanson
Located in Alamo, CA
This original hand-colored copperplate engraved map of Africa entitled "Africa Vetus, Nicolai Sanson Christianiss Galliar Regis Geographi" was originally created by Nicholas Sanson d...
Category

Late 17th Century French Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

18th Century Italian Baroque Red Marble Holy Water Font or Stoup
Located in Buisson, FR
Unique Baroque red marble holy water font or stoup with great patina, Italy, circa 1750. Weathered, H:8,5cm W:28cm D:23,5-33,5cm
Category

18th Century Italian Baroque Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Marble

1500s Elizabethan Sterling Silver Communion Chalice and Paten
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
An exceptional, fine and impressive, rare antique Elizabethan English sterling silver communion chalice and paten; an addition to our diverse religious silverware collection. This exceptional two piece antique Elizabethan sterling silver communion set consists of a chalice and paten/diskos. The chalice has a cylindrical tapering shaped form onto a plain knapped pedestal and spreading circular foot. The body of this sterling silver communion cup...
Category

16th Century English Elizabethan Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Sterling Silver

Large 1870 Original Religious Painting, Cherubs, Signed by S. Barber, Spain
Located in Miami, FL
1870 original religious painting. Cherubs Signed by S.Barber Interior measurements: 48.42in x 39.76in Frame: 2.75 in.
Category

Late 18th Century Italian Baroque Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paint

19th Century Steel and Sterling Silver Malaysian Dagger
Located in Miami, FL
19th century sterling silver Malaysian Dagger. Original carved mahogany wood handle. Sterting silver carved crown. Damascene steel. The kris is an as...
Category

15th Century and Earlier Malaysian Malayer Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Mahogany

Huge 18th C. Venetian Larger Then California King Bed Crest Finials Panel Board
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Huge 18th C. Venetian Larger Then California King Bed Crest Finials Panel Board. Imposing circa 1700’s Venetian bed detailed with cartouches. Composed of two smaller frames. Exquisit...
Category

18th Century Italian Classical Greek Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Bronze

Seminal guide to the East and West Indies, with 42 coloured maps and plates
Located in ZWIJNDRECHT, NL
Seminal guide to the East and West Indies, with 42 double-page and folding plates, including 6 maps, all engravings beautifully coloured by a contemporary hand LINSCHOTEN, Jan Huygh...
Category

Early 17th Century Dutch Dutch Colonial Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Antique wax Seal Stamp With Important Coat Of Arms, 18th Century
Located in Bilzen, BE
An 18th century wax seal in brass with boxwood handle with a nice aged old patina Important noble coat of arms Height 8.5 cm, surface area of the seal 3 cm, diameter top boxwood gri...
Category

Mid-18th Century French Other Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Unusual Benedictine Map of Italy, Showing Various States of the Church, C.1745
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Italia Benedictina Delineata A.P.R.C.P.W.' Unusual Benedictine map of Italy, showing the various states of the church, with an elaborate cartouche. Part of a seri...
Category

18th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Map of Blaisois by Janssonius, 1633, Decorative Antique Map of Loire Valley
Located in Langweer, NL
Map of Blaisois by Janssonius, 1633, Decorative Antique Map of Loire Valley This finely detailed and colorfully embellished map titled 'Description du Blaisois' was published in 163...
Category

1630s Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

1742 Antique Map of the Persian Empire with Detailed Borders and Cartouche
Located in Langweer, NL
Title: 1742 Covens & Mortier Map of the Persian Empire by Guillaume De L'Isle This remarkable 1742 map, "Carte de Perse," was originally designed by Guillaume De L'Isle, a preemin...
Category

1740s Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Italian 17th Century Mannequin
Located in Round Top, TX
A very beautiful 17th century articulating Mannequin from the Veneto region of Italy. Beautifully carved from polychromed wood with very handso...
Category

17th Century Italian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

A Brass Equinoctial Dial French 1780ca
Located in Firenze, IT
Shipping policy No additional costs will be added to this order. Shipping costs will be totally covered by the seller (customs duties included). With hinged gnomon, hour ring and l...
Category

Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Original Antique Map of Arabia and the Red Sea
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Carte de la Coste d'Arabie (..) - Kaart van de Kust van Arabië (..)'. This is a Dutch version, engraved by J. van Schley, of Bellin's map of Arabia and the Red Sea...
Category

Mid-18th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Extraordinary 18th Century Spanish Wooden Mannequin
Located in Middleburg, VA
Extraordinary 18th Century Spanish Wooden Mannequin. Rare large size made of carved poplar with articulated joints retaining the original painted decoration possibly depicting a Sain...
Category

18th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood, Paint

Silver Pax O Portapaz, Spain, 16th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
Portapaz. Silver in its color and gilded. Century XVI. Portapaz made of silver that has a handle (decorated with delicate plant motifs similar to those of the pilasters) and a female and a male bust at the bottom, as well as other architectural elements on the back, and, on the front, an architectural composition classicist basement (with busts flanking a flower and a cross), two pilasters (vegetal decoration and capital recalling the composite order) with entablature (flowers flanking an angel's head; moldings), and a semicircular arch finish with elements veined in relief under cross and flanked by two architectural motifs in the upper part. This composition frames and enhances a gilt silver relief where you can see the Lament or Cry over the Body of Christ, with the Virgin holding the head of Jesus, Saint John at her side, the Magdalene and other characters, a cross following the group and a landscape background with houses and plant elements. This architectural structure mentioned is similar to the one present in other 16th century portapaces, such as that of the Magdalena de Dos Hermanas parish (Hernando de Ballesteros el Mozo, around 1575); or that of the Galaroza parish (same author and date); or that of the portapaz of San Miguel de Jerez de los Caballeros (in some details); etc. As for the relief, it is possible to clearly see a strong Italian influence, and the similarity between it and important pieces such as the Portapaz known as “de Cisneros by Juan de Burgos (1493-1497; MuseoCatedralicio de Alcalá de Henares), as well as in paintings and reliefs. Also noteworthy are both the male and female busts in the lower area and the Maltese cross (or Saint John's) that appears in this area. This symbol was used since the 12th century as an insignia by the Knights Hospitallers of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, also known as the Order of Malta...
Category

16th Century Spanish Renaissance Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver

Hand-coloured set of Buffon’s Histoire naturelle in its most luxurious form
Located in ZWIJNDRECHT, NL
Publisher: Buffon, Georges-Louis Leclerc de Place / Date: Dordrecht, Abraham Blussé, 1766-1799 Size: 38 parts in 21 volumes. Large 4to. With more than 1100 hand-coloured engraved ...
Category

Late 18th Century Dutch Dutch Colonial Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paint, Paper

Lt. Col. Robert Stewart, Miniature Portrait C. 1763, French & Indian War
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Lt. Col. Robert Stewart, Miniature Portrait C. 1763, French and Indian War  Lieutenant Colonel Robert Stewart (1729–1809) of the Virginia Regiment Labeled on the back:: Lieutennip? F...
Category

Mid-18th Century American Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather, Porcelain, Glass, Wood

Italian 18th Century Baroque Carved Wooden Reliquary Shrine
Located in Buisson, FR
Very rare hand carved wooden reliquary shrine with wonderful decoration, Italy, circa 1750 Weathered, small losses and old repairs. H:40cm W:39cm D:...
Category

18th Century Italian Baroque Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Glass, Wood

Pocket Globe by Nathaniel Hill, London 1754
Located in Milano, IT
Nathaniel Hill Pocket globe London, 1754 The globe is contained in its original case, which itself is covered in shark skin. There are slight gaps in the original paint on the sphere. The case no longer closes. The sphere measures 2.6 in (6.8 cm) in diameter whereas the case measures 2.9 in (7.4 cm) in diameter. lb 0.24 (kg 0.11) The globe is made up of twelve printed paper gores aligned and glued to the sphere. In the North Pacific Ocean there is a scroll with the inscription: A New terrestrial Globe by Nath. Hill, 1754. The celestial globe is depicted on the inside of the box. On the terrestrial globe much of central and southern Africa is empty. North America bears only the name of some British colonies. It shows California as a peninsula and the northwest coast of America as "unknown parts" (Alaska is not described and is only partially delineated; it would become part of the United States in 1867). The route of Admiral Anson is traced (1740) and the trade winds are indicated by arrows. Australia, still named New Holland (the new name would be introduced in 1829), is part of the west coast. (See Van der Krogt, P., Old Globes in the Netherlands, Utrecht 1984, p. 146 and Van der Krogt, P. - Dekker, E., Globes from the Western World, London 1993, p. 115.) Nathaniel Hill (London, news from 1746 to 1768) had impeccable professional credentials: he had done his apprenticeship with Richard Cushee, who at the time was carrying out surveying work for John Senex's Surrey map...
Category

1750s English George II Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Shagreen, Paper

Saint Florus Saint Lavros Saint Antipas Fine Antique Russian Bronze Travel Icon
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful, unusual late 18th century Russian bronze travel icon of Saint Antipas, Saint Florus and Saint Lavros. Saint Florus and Saint Lavros are the Patron Saints of horses in Ru...
Category

Late 18th Century Russian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Bronze

Works of the Late Doctor Benjamin Franklin, With Essays, in Two Volumes, 1796
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Franklin, Benjamin. Works of the Late Doctor Benjamin Franklin, Consisting of His Life Written by Himself together with Essays, Humorous, Moral & Literary, Chiefly in the Manner of t...
Category

1790s English Federal Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather, Paper

Gustavian brass box with perpetual calender based on the rune staff
Located in Knivsta, SE
Gustavian brass box with perpetual calender based on the rune staff. The box is from the late 18th Century and was used as a perpetual calendar and...
Category

Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Old Map of the Spice Islands, Moluccas by Bellin, Published in 1771
Located in Langweer, NL
Title: 1771 Jacques-Nicolas Bellin Map of the Moluccas, the Spice Islands of Indonesia Description: This finely engraved eighteenth-century map, titled Carte Particulière des Is...
Category

1770s Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Rare Unusual Antique Map of Asia with a Landbridge from Korea to America, 1717
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'L'Asie Suivant les Nouvelles Decouvertes (..).' Interesting and very unusual map of the Asian continent. The map is based primarily on Dutch sources, particular...
Category

18th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Roman Bronze Phallic Amulet, 1st–2nd Century AD
Located in Madrid, ES
Authentic Roman bronze amulet, dating between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, at the height of the Roman Empire. This piece has a beautiful natural patina that attests to its age and a...
Category

15th Century and Earlier European Classical Roman Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Bronze

Antique Map of the Empire of Morocco by Kitchin, c.1760
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'A Map of the Empire of Morocco Comprehending the Kingdoms of Fez, Morocco'. Original antique map of the kingdoms of Fez, Algiers, Segelmese, Tafilet and Morocco. ...
Category

18th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Original Antique Map of Canaan, Armenia, Syria, Mesopotamia and Arabia, 1709
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Descriptio Paradisi et Terrae Canaan'. Original antique map of Canaan, Armenia, Syria, Mesopotamia and Arabia. It displays the Middle East from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf...
Category

Early 1700s Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

18th-Century Map of the Eastern Roman Empire by Henri Chatelain, c. 1719
Located in Langweer, NL
Title: 18th-Century Map of the Eastern Roman Empire by Henri Chatelain, c. 1719 Description: This intricately detailed map, titled *Nouvelle Carte pour Servir à l'Histoire de l'Empi...
Category

1710s Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

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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