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Collectibles and Curiosities For Sale
Recognized Seller Listings
An Early 20th Century American Shofar
Located in New York, NY
An Early 20th Century American Shofar represents a unique chapter in the history of Jewish communities in the United States during that era.
Jewish immigration to America surged in...
Category
Early 20th Century American Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Horn
1 Volume. Gideon Welles, Lincoln & Seward.
Located in New York, NY
1 Volume. Gideon Welles, Lincoln & Seward. Bound in 3/4 blue calf with marbled boards and gilt-tooling on the covers and raised band spine. Top edge gilt. Marbled endpapers. New York...
Category
Late 19th Century American Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Leather
A German Wood and Brass Torah Pointer
Located in New York, NY
A German Wood and Brass Torah Pointer.
This Torah Pointer is made of wood and brass and painted black, unlike most Torah pointers which were made in Germa...
Category
20th Century German Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass
Builder’s Model of the Brazilian Passenger Paddle Steamer Caxias
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A builder’s model of the Brazilian passenger paddle steamer Caxias built by Hepple, South Shields, 1912, with a 24in. laminated and carved hull finished...
Category
1910s English Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Laminate, Wood, Mahogany
An oak tray from H.M.S. Cambridge
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
An oak tray from H.M.S. Cambridge, of rectangular form, the carrying handles with turned silver plated ends, decorated in cream on a green ground with a ribbon cartouche enclosing a ...
Category
Early 1900s European Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Oak
Framed Set of Eleven Micromosaic Plaques of Italian Monuments
Located in London, GB
A framed set of eleven micromosaic plaques of Italian monuments
Italian, 19th century
Measures: Height 22cm, width 21.5cm, depth 2.5cm
Made du...
Category
19th Century Italian Grand Tour Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Giltwood
Audrey Werner, Pair of Gingko Cascade Earrings in 18k Sterling Silver, US, 1999
Located in New York, NY
Seamlessly mixing influences from around the world, Werner works with oft-overlooked materials--including her signature black iron--to create bold pieces of striking beauty. "I am am...
Category
2010s American Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Sterling Silver, Steel
19th Century Needlepoint Tallit Bag, Jerualem
Located in New York, NY
An Intricate Jerusalem Textile, made in Jerusalem, 1886.
Double-sided large pouch. Wool thread embroidered on cotton net. One side has a lion and stag holding flags reading “Jerusalem” in Hebrew, which flank a crowned Ten Commandments. Titled in Hebrew “Swift as a deer, strong as a lion” (Ethics of the Fathers 5:20). “Jerusalem” is seen in large lettering, atop a pair of birds and flowers. Top scene of the reverse side is titled “Mount of Olives”, amongst a plethora of olive trees, and a cluster of buildings is titled “Chulda the Prophetess”, (where her and others tombs reside). Main scene is titled “The Western Wall”, which features the wall and outer structures with turrets and Cyprus trees. The Hebrew date of “1886” is revealed on the bottom corners. This delicate textile, incredibly vibrant in color after 130 years of being created, is a masterful, exceedingly rare work of art produced in Jerusalem by an unknown woman --- likely quite young, a teenager --- as a gift to an unknown individual. Too complex to be a “tourist trinket”, as we know of one other similarly-made textile that is in the collection of the Israel Museum, and is dated 1876: see the book “Jewish Folk Art: From Biblical Days to Modern Times”, page 122. A clue to where perhaps this was made is in the depiction of the lion and stag holding flags, as they are identical to those featured on the crest of Moses Montefiore. In the 19th century, Montefiore gave enormous sums of money to purchase land for Jewish settlements and establish schools in Palestine. This textile most likely hailed from a school for girls funded by Montefiore, and was made as either a gift for Montefiore himself, or another wealthy donor. As to the actual purpose of this textile, since it is in the form of a large pouch, its intended purpose might have been to hold a tallit (prayer...
Category
1880s Israeli Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Textile
19th Century Siberian Eskimo Pipe, Alaska
Located in New York, NY
Siberian Eskimo people were introduced to tobacco in the 17th century, acquiring it from European traders in exchange for furs. Pipes based on European models, such as this example, ...
Category
19th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wood, Leather, Hide
Historic Map of Missouri and Kansas Showing Railroads and Frontier Trails, 1864
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique 1864 Map of Missouri and Kansas by Johnson and Ward
Description:
This finely detailed and vibrantly hand-colored map of Missouri and Kansas, publ...
Category
1860s Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Antique Map of the Western Hemisphere by Lapie, France, circa 1830
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique Map of the Western Hemisphere by Lapie, France, circa 1830
This beautifully engraved and delicately hand-colored map, titled Hémisphère du Nouveau Continent (Ouest), depict...
Category
1830s Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Antique Map of the Eastern Hemisphere by Lapie, France, circa 1830
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique Map of the Eastern Hemisphere by Lapie, France, circa 1830
This finely engraved and hand-colored antique map, titled Hémisphère de l'ancien continent (Eastern Hemisphere), w...
Category
1830s Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Beautiful 17th Century Map of Paris and Isle de France by Templeux, c.1650
Located in Langweer, NL
Map of Isle de France by D. de Templeux, ca. 1650, Hand-Colored and Decorative
This richly detailed antique map titled *Le Gouvernement de L'Isle de France* was engraved by Daniel d...
Category
1650s 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
Wood Foundry Mold, Italy, 1980s
Located in Milan, IT
Marvelous wood foundry mold.
Small scale architectural attitude piece also available in different landscapes.
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wood
Cast Iron Mortar from USA
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A cast iron mortar with a bas-relief band in the center.
Category
19th Century American Industrial Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Iron
A relic from the family of Bounty Mutineer John Adams: documented piece of Bark
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A relic from the family of Bounty Mutineer John Adams: An exceptionally rare documented piece of Bark Cloth from the Pitcairn Islands, with a fragment of paper pinned to it stating ‘Manufactured at Pitcairn’s Island, by the descendants of John Adams the Mutineer, from the bark of a tree.’
Provenance: Private collection, Hampshire
For similar examples see the collection of the British Museum (Oc1937,0308.1 and Oc1937,0308.2) each with the same handwriting as the example offered here, but signed ‘H. Porter’ and dated 1837 and another in the National Martime Museum, Greenwich.
John Adams (1767-1829)
John Adams (known as Alexander Smith) was the last survivor of the Bounty Mutineers, the disaffected crewmen, who, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship from their captain, Lieutenant William Bligh, and set him and eighteen loyalists adrift in the ship’s open launch.
After a sojourn in Tahiti, Christian, the remaining mutineers and some native Tahitians, mainly women forcibly abducted, left on 22nd September 1799 in search of safe haven. He then formed the idea of settling on Pitcairn Island, far to the east of Tahiti; the island had been reported in 1767, but its exact location was never verified. After months of searching, Christian rediscovered the island on 15 January 1790, 188 nautical miles east of its recorded position. This longitudinal error contributed to the mutineers’ decision to settle on Pitcairn in the hope they would be undetected. On arrival the Bounty was unloaded and stripped of most of its masts and spars, for use on the island. It was set ablaze and destroyed on 23rd January 1790.
Although the settlers were able to survive by farming and fishing, the initial period of settlement was marked by serious tensions among the settlers. Alcoholism, murder, disease and other ills had taken the lives of most of the mutineers and Tahitian men. John Adams, Ned Young, and Matthew Quintal were the last three mutineers surviving in 1799 when the thuggish Quintal, while drunk, reportedly threatened to kill the entire community if he could not have Fletcher Christian’s widow as his own consort, and in response Adams and Young lured him to Young’s house and killed him with a hatchet. Having taken effective control of the 19-member strong colony after the 1793 massacre, Adams and Young then turned to the Scriptures using the ship’s Bible as their guide for a new and peaceful society. As a result, Adams and Young embraced Christianity and taught the children to read and write using the Bible. Young eventually died of an asthmatic infection in 1800, but Adams continued his work of educating the women and children. The Pitcairners also converted to Christianity. The Pitcairners would later convert from their existing form of Christianity to Adventism after a successful Adventist mission in the 1890s.
The American sailing ship Topaz was the first to rediscover Pitcairn in 1808. Adams was eventually granted amnesty for the mutiny...
Category
19th Century British Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
An Olivewood Dreidel, Jerusalem Circa 1950
Located in New York, NY
A Lovely Olivewood Dreidel made in Jerusalem Circa 1950.
Dreidel is made classically; it is carved almost entirely of olivewood with an applied cylindrical handle at the center of t...
Category
1950s Israeli Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wood, Olive
Peranakan Djati Wood Miniature Bed for an Anak Ambar, a Miscarried Fetus
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A Peranakan djati wood miniature bed for an Anak Ambar, a miscarried fetus
Indonesia, Peranakan Chinese, late 19th century
Measures: H. 41 x L...
Category
Late 19th Century Indonesian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wood
Bracelet "Rhea" Gold-Plated Hand-Hammered by Jacques Jarrige
Located in New York, NY
From Jacques Jarrige's first jewelry collection: "Rhea" bracelet gold-plated and hand-hammered. The bracelet is also available in silver.
Jacques Jarrige was born into a Parisian fa...
Category
2010s French Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Gold Plate
A Charity Container For Jewish Institute for the Blind by Alfred Saltzman, 1930
Located in New York, NY
A charity container for the Jewish Institute for the Blind by Alfred Saltzman from Jerusalem in 1930 reflects the efforts to support education and welfare for visually impaired indiv...
Category
1930s Israeli Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Tin
Necklace in Silver Hand-Hammered by Jacques Jarrige "Flora"
Located in New York, NY
Hand-hammered silver necklace or sculpture by Jacques Jarrige.
Jarrige's jewelry is more companion than ornament, heightening one's physical awareness and bestowing the pleasure o...
Category
2010s French Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Silver
Audrey Werner, Brass and Malachite Diadem, United States, 2001
Located in New York, NY
Seamlessly mixing influences from around the world, Werner works with oft-overlooked materials--including her signature black iron--to create bold pieces of striking beauty. "I am am...
Category
2010s North American Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Malachite, Brass
19th Century Indian Bidri Metal Hookah Base
Located in London, GB
This fascinating piece dates from the 19th century in India, where it was used as a water base for a hookah, or shisha pipe. In traditional hookah smoking, the base of the pipe is no...
Category
19th Century Indian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Metal
Gold-Plated and Hand-Hammered Bracelet by Jacques Jarrige
Located in New York, NY
Gold-plated brass and hand-hammered Bracelet by Jacques Jarrige.
Jarrige's jewelry is more companion than ornament, heightening one's physical awareness and bestowing the pleasure...
Category
2010s French Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Gold Plate, Brass
18th Century German Pewter Purim Plate
Located in New York, NY
Pewter Purim dish, Germany, late 18th century.
The outer rim has wriggle-work engraving stating “and of sending portions one to another and gifts to the poor” (Esther 9:22). Interspersed between some of the words are depictions of foliage and flowers. Large
decorative star in which the very center has three interlocking fish. This dish was used for the custom of sending gifts of food to friends or neighbors during Purim. In Central Europe, nuts and candied or dried fruit were the usual treats extended. The astrological symbol of the month of Adar, in which Purim falls out on, are fish, which is why that is featured in the center.
18th century pewter Purim dishes are much more scarce than 18th century pewter Passover...
Category
Mid-18th Century German Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Pewter
A Tin Charity Container, Belgium Early 20th Century
Located in New York, NY
A tin charity container for Kollel Shomrei HaChomot in Belgium from the early 20th century was used to collect donations for this religious institution comprising several schools, an...
Category
Early 20th Century Belgian Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Tin
Gold Mobile Earrings by Jacques Jarrige, 2014
Located in New York, NY
Wearable work of art by Jacques Jarrige. These earrings are hand-sculpted and hammered in silver sterling and gold-plated with 18-Karat, five microns.
This wearable sculpture unmi...
Category
2010s French Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Sterling Silver, Vermeil
Mid-20th Century Israeli Brass Hanukkah Lamp
Located in New York, NY
Cast brass Hanukkah lamp, Israel, circa 1950.
Covered with beautiful original green patina, bearing in gold Hebrew letters the word: "Hanukkah".
Fr...
Category
Mid-20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass
Pair of Sculpture Earrings in Sterling Silver by Jacques Jarrige, 2014
Located in New York, NY
Wearable work of art by Jacques Jarrige. These earrings are hand-sculpted and hammered in silver sterling.
Also available gold-plated 18-karat
This wearable sculpture unmistaka...
Category
2010s French Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Vermeil
Appearance Stripped Bare, Desire and the Object in the Work of Marcel Duchamp
Located in New York, NY
The first book to explore two of the biggest names in modern and contemporary art side by side, Marcel Duchamp and Jeff Koons
In the first half of the 20th century, Marcel Duchamp re...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Cooking in Marfa
Located in New York, NY
A treasure trove of essays, recipes, and images exploring the people and food of Marfa and its premier restaurant, The Capri
Cooking in Marfa introduces an unusual small town in the West Texas...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Daan Roosegaarde 'Phaidon Contemporary Artists Series'
Located in New York, NY
The first monograph on the indefatigable explorer of relationships between people, technology, and environmental issues
Dutch artist, Daan Roosegaarde, is one of the most innovative ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Shaping Cities in an Urban Age
Located in New York, NY
An authoritative - and fascinating - investigation into the spatial and social dynamics of cities at a global scale
Shaping Cities in an Urban Age is the third addition to Phaidon's...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
An American Arts & Crafts Torah Shield, Circa 1910
Located in New York, NY
This American Arts & Crafts Torah shield from circa 1910, is a unique piece and is rare and valuable, both for its artistic merit and its cultural significance.
The American Arts & ...
Category
1910s American Arts and Crafts Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Silver Plate
Adrian Villar Rojas 'Phaidon Contemporary Artists Series'
Located in New York, NY
The first book to explore the fascinating career and fantasy-driven worlds created by the acclaimed Argentinean artist
Adrián Villar Rojas's...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
A Moroccan Charity Container, Circa 1920
Located in New York, NY
This Moroccan charity container from around 1920 is a unique artifact that represents the containers that were often used for collecting donations or contributions for various charit...
Category
1920s Moroccan Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Tin
Small Jade Bottle Vial with Silver Mountings
Located in Stockholm, SE
A small masterpiece. A carved bottle vial with lid carved of grey/brown jade and with decorations of ropes made of silver.
Category
19th Century European Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Jade, Silver
Industrial Facility
Located in New York, NY
The first monograph on the complete works of award-winning design studio Industrial Facility
Sam Hecht and Kim Colin's world-renowned, London-based studio is one of the most influen...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Early 20th Century Austrian Wooden Charity Box
Located in New York, NY
Judaica Charity box, made in Austria, circa 1920.
Printed with a scene of the Western Wall, inscribed in Hebrew “Land of Israel / Western Wall / Rabbi Meir...
Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wood
Industrial Facility
Located in New York, NY
The first monograph on the complete works of award-winning design studio Industrial Facility
Sam Hecht and Kim Colin's world-renowned, London-based studio is one of the most influ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Paper
Victorian Marquetry Wall Barometer and Thermometer
Located in London, GB
Victorian marquetry wall barometer and thermometer.
English, 19th century
Measures: height 98cm, width 25cm, depth 7cm.
This elegant piece is a fin...
Category
19th Century English Victorian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wood
Render by Callum Campbell
Located in Geneve, CH
Render by Callum Campbell
Objects for self-collection
Signed and numbered
Dimensions: W 24 x D 8.8 H 36 cm
Materials: Brass, stainless steel
Finish: Polished
Physical appearance...
Category
2010s Australian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass, Stainless Steel
Gold-Plated Necklace by Jacques Jarrige "Aura"
Located in New York, NY
Gold-plated and hand-hammered necklace by Jacques Jarrige "Aura" is handmade in Paris.
Jarrige's jewelry is more companion than ornament, heightening one's physical awareness and ...
Category
2010s French Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Gold Plate
A 19th Century Polish Shofar
Located in New York, NY
A 19th-century Polish Shofar which is a remarkable piece of Judaica reflecting the Jewish community's life in Poland during that era.
Poland was home to one of the largest and most...
Category
19th Century Polish Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Horn
A Victorian wool picture of a three masted frigate flying several flags and ensi
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A Victorian wool picture of a three masted frigate flying several flags and ensigns, within a border of red, blue and white trellis, in the original frame, regilded. English, circa ...
Category
Mid-19th Century English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wool
A Charity Container for the Rabbinical College of Telshe, Cleveland, 1960s
Located in New York, NY
A Charity Container for the Rabbinical College of Telshe in Cleveland, Ohio from the 1960s is an artifact tied to the support of religious education within the Jewish community durin...
Category
1960s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Tin
Large Pui Wood Domino Set by Marcela Cure
Located in Geneve, CH
Large Pui wood domino set by Marcela Cure
Dimensions: W 17 x D 24 x H 15 cm
Materials: olive wood with malachite inlay.
Our Large Domino set is composed of 28 pieces of pui wood with malachite inlay. Each piece is outlined in blue polyurethane paint and elegantly stored in a leather box.
Nothing better than having fun, and if you can do it...
Category
2010s Colombian Post-Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Malachite
Late 19th Century Austro-Hungarian Silver Yom Kippur Belt Buckle
Located in New York, NY
Handmade silver Yom Kippur belt buckle, Austro-Hungarian Empire, circa 1870.
Repoussé with Lions of Judah flanking a crowned cartouche whose interior reads ...
Category
19th Century Austrian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Silver
Pair of Large 19th Century Italian Grand Tour Black Marble Nero Antico Obelisks
Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE
A very attractive pair of Italian Grand Tour black marble obelisks. Detailed hieroglyphics to the front side, on a green marble plinth. Minor corner chips to both obelisks, otherwise...
Category
Late 19th Century Italian Grand Tour Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Marble
Early 20th Century Czech Porcelain Passover Seder Plate
Located in New York, NY
Unusual oval shape Seder plate, Karlsbad, Czechoslovakia, circa 1900.
Divided into seven wells and inscribed with gold lettering and border with the order of the Seder.
Signed on t...
Category
Early 20th Century Czech Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Porcelain
A silver 'naugari' bracelet
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Rajasthan, India, early 20th century
Called 'Naugari' these bracelets were worn by farmer's wife.
The eight 'gajre' balls attached to the central ring are made from a thick piece of...
Category
Early 20th Century Indian Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Silver
An exquisite collection of thirteen Indian arrows
Located in Amsterdam, NL
India, early 19th century
Category
Early 19th Century Indian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Metal
19th Century Chinese Silver Kiddush Goblet with a Saucer
Located in New York, NY
Chinese export silver covered Kiddush cup, 19th century.
Round bowl on baluster stem mounted to stepped and flat circular foot. Double domed cover with pointed finial. Engraved band...
Category
19th Century Chinese Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Silver
A Wooden Gavel Presented to Chebra Rofei Cholim Krakauer Society, New York, 1884
Located in New York, NY
A Unique Wooden Gavel, Presented to Chebra Rofei Cholim Krakauer Society in New York, 1884.
This wooden Gavel has a long baluster handle and a thick circular body with a dedicatory ...
Category
1880s Antique Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wood
Bel Ava Washbasin by Studio Nosqua
Located in Geneve, CH
Bel Ava Washbasin by Studio Nosqua
Dimensions: D 52 x W 52 x H 93 cm
Material: Glass.
Basin drain not included.
Between desertic expanses and frozen mountains, Bela Ava offers you ...
Category
2010s French Post-Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Glass
Military Interest - Sterling Silver Pair of Hound Dogs from London in 1929
By Blackmore & Fletcher Ltd
Located in London, London
Hallmarked in London in 1929 by Blackmore & Fletcher Ltd. This handsome pair of sterling silver hound dogs stand proudly on a wooden plinth, and comprise a ...
Category
1920s English Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Sterling Silver
A Pewter and Copper Mezuzah Case by Shalom Bodner, United States 20th Century
Located in New York, NY
A Refined Pewter and Copper Mezuzah Case made by Shalom Bodner, in the United States in the 20th Century.
Shalom Bodner (1932-) Born in Czechoslovakia, Bodner immigrated to Israel in 1949. He studied painting and sculpture at the Bezalel Academy of Art in Jerusalem and continued his studies at the Grande Chaumiere in Paris. In 1979 Bodner came to the United States where he pursued a career in jewelry and Judaica.
He has been a painter for over forty years and has been exhibited throughout Israel, Europe, and South America.
Each item he creates is individually hand-crafted from mixed media which includes silver, brass, copper, bronze, and lead-free pewter.
A must-have for any Judaica Collector; this unique Mezuzah case is truly eclectic, made by a person who lived in many parts of the world, and his creativity is derived from those places.
This mezuzah is not made in the general fashion of one solid piece rather three separate ones and when combined makes a fabulous designed casing.
The top of the mezuzah case is decorated with a hamza and foliate scrolling and is inserted through its center cylindrical copper shaft to secure the scroll within. the center is beautifully embossed with foliate borders
Surrounding the center "Shin" are the words "Shema Yisroel" spelled forward...
Category
20th Century North American Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Copper, Pewter
Antique and Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities for Sale
Antique and vintage collectibles and curiosities can bring whimsy and wonder to any interior.
Decorating with old scientific instruments, historical memorabilia and vintage musical instruments, as well as other authentic collectibles and curiosities that can be found on 1stDibs, presents an opportunity to create a unique, natural history museum-like atmosphere in your home that can provoke conversation as often as it pays tribute to how far we’ve come in understanding our world.
And bringing collectibles and curiosities into your space is actually on trend — Wunderkammern, or curiosity cabinets, were all the rage in Europe during the 1500s and continued to have adherents there and in the U.S. in the following centuries. Today, however, they’re experiencing a real surge in popularity and influencing how many interior designers are furnishing and decorating homes — combining contemporary with antique, scientific with tribal, earthly with extraterrestrial, Les Lalanne tables with Flemish tapestries.
The original Wunderkammern were entire rooms filled with objects demonstrating their owners’ worldly knowledge: A proper one included artificiala or preciosa (objets d’art); naturalia (such as skeletons, shells, minerals); exotica (taxidermy or dried plants); and scientifica (scientific instruments), frequently alongside religious relics and ancient artifacts.
Pay tribute to a history of rich and diverse musical traditions that have taken shape all over the world by decorating your home with a collection of antique and vintage musical instruments — with a little help from strong hanging wire or some wall hooks, vintage brass instruments such as a gong, French horn or trumpet can help elevate a home office or complement the efforts you’ve made to ensure a welcoming vibe in your home’s entryway. Bells or antique wind instruments can add provocative metallic contrasts to dark woods as tabletop decorative objects.
Create an intriguing focal point with Georgian scientific instruments, such as stick barometers with mahogany cases or lacquered brass telescopes. These items stem from an era named for the monarchies of the four King Georges, who ruled England in succession starting in 1714 (plus King William’s reign, which lasted until 1837). Just as there was beautiful jewelry produced during the period that today is coveted by collectors, there is much to be found in the collectibles and curiosities realm too.
Wanderlust, nostalgia and a shared love of good design are contributing factors to certain trends in decorating — just as vintage trunks and luggage have reappeared as furniture or home accents in a bedroom or foyer, decorating with globes, maps or nautical objects is similarly rooted in the allure of travel and a penchant for the stylish finishing touch that collectibles bring to our homes.
Find a wide range of antique and vintage collectibles and curiosities on 1stDibs.
Read More
Medal-Worthy Memorabilia from Epic Past Olympic Games
Get into the games! These items celebrate the events, athletes, host countries and sporting spirit.
Ahoy! You’ve Never Seen a Collection of Sailor Art and Kitsch Quite Like This
French trendsetter and serial collector Daniel Rozensztroch tells us about his obsession with objects related to seafaring men.
Pamela Shamshiri Shares the Secrets behind Her First-Ever Book and Its Effortlessly Cool Interiors
The sought-after designer worked with the team at Hoffman Creative to produce a monograph that beautifully showcases some of Studio Shamshiri's most inspiring projects.
Moroccan Artworks and Objects Take Center Stage in an Extraordinary Villa in Tangier
Italian writer and collector Umberto Pasti opens the doors to his remarkable cave of wonders in North Africa.
Montecito Has Drawn Royalty and Celebrities, and These Homes Are Proof of Its Allure
Hollywood A-listers, ex-pat aristocrats and art collectors and style setters of all stripes appreciate the allure of the coastal California hamlet — much on our minds after recent winter floods.
Whaam! Blam! Pow! — a New Book on Pop Art Packs a Punch
Publishing house Assouline and writer Julie Belcove have teamed up to trace the history of the genre, from Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Yayoi Kusama to Mickalene Thomas and Jeff Koons.
The Sparkling Legacy of Tiffany & Co. Explained, One Jewel at a Time
A gorgeous new book celebrates — and memorializes — the iconic jeweler’s rich heritage.
What Makes a Gem-Encrusted Chess Set Worth $4 Million?
The world’s most opulent chess set, weighing in at 513 carats, is literally fit for a king and queen.