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Collectibles and Curiosities For Sale
Period: Early 2000s
Period: 1920s
Collection of 12 Original Golf Ball Boxes. Silver King, North Berwick etc.
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
Collection Of Vintage Cardboard Golf Ball Boxes. A very nice decorative collection of twelve cardboard golf ball boxes. The boxes would have original...
Category

1920s British Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Original Signed Cecil Aldin Golf Print, Walton Heath
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
Cecil Aldin Golf Print, Walton Heath - Old Course. A mounted and framed golf photolithograph of Walton Heath (the Seventeenth hole, on the ' OLD COURSE')...
Category

1920s British Sporting Art Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

1930s Austrian Horse Toy
By Craft and Folk Art Museum
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Beautiful 1930s Austrian horse toy. Wonderful patina.
Category

1920s Austrian Folk Art Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Bentwood

Antique Scientific Didactic Model of the Yew Seed, Germany made in the Twenties
Located in Milan, IT
Taxus baccata, enlarged and removable didactic model of the yew seed, tree very used as hedge, belonging to the order of the conifers. German manufacture of the twenties made of papi...
Category

1920s German Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Pair of Solid Brass Ships Port and Starboard Lanterns
Located in Norwell, MA
U.S. Navy pair of “wing to wing’” bridge lanterns from the early twentieth century. They have been stripped of the military paint and meticulously polished and lacquered. The long va...
Category

1920s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Large Original Vintage Map of The World, circa 1920
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Great map of The World Original color. Good condition / minor foxing Published by Alexander Gross Unframed.
Category

1920s English Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Autograph Edition of the Works of Anatole France, in a Fine Leather Binding!
Located in Hillsborough, NJ
Author: France, Anatole Title: The Complete Works of Anatole France. Publisher: NY: Gabriel Wells, 1924. Description: The Autograph Edition. 30...
Category

1920s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

Early 20th Century Scratch build folk-art ship model
Located in London, GB
Early 20th Century Scratch build folk-art ship model Stood on a hand-crafted gesso painted sea effect, which is framed by an ebonised pine base. This is an charming example of an ea...
Category

1920s Unknown Folk Art Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Pine

French Art Deco Bronze Virgin Holy Water Font by PONCET, 1920
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
French Art Deco Virgin holy water font by PONCET, France, ca.1920. Madonna - Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes. Bronze, marble and glass. Height : 11"(28cm), Width : 7.1"(18cm), Depth : 1.9"(4.8...
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Marble, Bronze

RONSON 1925 Art & Craft Mechanical Desk Cigarettes Dispenser In Filigree Gilt
Located in Miami, FL
Mechanical desk cigarette dispenser designed by Ronson. This is a beautiful and very rare desk cigarettes dispenser, created in New Jersey United States by The Ronson Lighter Co. during the art deco period, back in the 1925. The antique humidor box has been crafted with art & craft patterns in a square shape in solid gilt bronze, steel and wood. This desk-piece is very decorative and will be a great conversation item. It is in gorgeous and exceptional preserved condition. Period: Art-Deco. Date: United States, 1925. Materials: Gilt bronze, brass, zinc coated steel, green felt, cedar wood and synthetic gemstones. Weight: About 1 pound (624.87wt). Measurements: 165 mm by 160 mm by 64 mm (4.5 x 5.14 x 5.20 Inches). Marks: Attached with an early sticker reading as follows, "FASHIONED BY RONSON". The Ronson lighter company The company started as The Art Metal Works in 1897 and was incorporated on July 20, 1898, by Max Hecht, Louis Vincent Aronson and Leopold Herzig, in Newark, New Jersey. Louis V. Aronson was a huge creative driving force for the company; and, with a few business adjustments, including the addition of Alexander Harris (1910–11) as Business Manager, the company soon became World Famous. In the 1910s The Art Metal Works were producing very good quality Hood Ornaments and gained a reputation as a dependable supplier of same. All accounts state that Louis Aronson was a gifted man, who at 16 years old set up a money-making shop in his parent's home - before receiving a U.S. patent for a commercially valuable metal-plating process he developed when he was 24 years old, and he sold half the rights while retaining the Right to Use. "His experiments, which he has been conducting since his early youth, resulted in 1893 in the discovery of a process for electrically producing tinplate. Much money was expended upon improving the process... and has been of great practical value to the whole industry. Retaining its rights, he sold half the patent rights, and later used part of the proceeds to open the Art Metal Works in Newark, N.J. Soon the company was producing a variety of high-quality Lamps, Book ends, Art Statues and other decorative items, prized today for their detail in the collector marketplace. Condition: The overall condition of this Ronson cigarette...
Category

1920s American Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass, Bronze, Gold

1927 The Sun Also Rises
Located in Bath, GB
A smart early edition of one of Ernest Hemingway's best known novels, a brilliant leather bound example of the great American novel. An early printing, published the year following the first, with 'stopped' spelt correctly to page 181 line 26, 'down-staris' to page 169 line 34, and 'BOOK THREE' to page 235, rather than 'Book III'. A popular work, this went through three printings in 1926, and an additional four printings in 1927, two each in January and February, and one printing in March. The printings were stated to the spine of the dust wrapper, not seen in this smartly rebound copy. Smartly rebound in a half morocco binding, with the original cloth boards restored. 'The Sun Also Rises...
Category

1920s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Rene Lalique Blue Glass Serpents Pendant
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Rene Lalique Electric blue Glass 'Serpents' pendant. This pattern features two open mouthed snakes, their heads forming the holes for the cord and tassle attachments. Necklace is a nylon/rayon cord and has sliding knot...
Category

1920s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Glass

Large Original Vintage Map of S.E Asia, with a Vignette of Singapore
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Great map of South East Asia Original color. Good condition Published by Alexander Gross Unframed.
Category

1920s English Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Traditional Antique Sterling Silver Breastplate, Judaica, London 1922
Located in London, London
Hallmarked in London in 1922 by Morris Solovitch, this striking, Sterling Silver Breastplate, features decoration depiction the tablets with the engraved Ten Commandments in Hebrew, ...
Category

1920s English Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Sterling Silver

Classic 1920s Adjustable Height Leather and Cast Iron Pommel Gym Horse
By Hamilton Caster & Mfg. Co.
Located in Buffalo, NY
Classic 1920s adjustable height leather and cast iron pommel gym horse, amazing design, proportion and patina. Retains original 'HORSE-HOOF" feet, adjustable height from 26" to 40", cast iron wheels signed and dated 1921, Hamilton Caster mfg co, perfect for home gym...
Category

1920s American Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Iron

Marrakesh Style The Magic of Living in Morocco by Barbara Stoelitie, 1st Ed
Located in valatie, NY
Marrakesh Style: The Magic of Living in Morocco by Barbara Stoelitie. Published by Thames & Hudson, London & New York 2009. 1st Ed hardcover with dust jacket. Here is a lavish survey...
Category

Early 2000s English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Egyptian Revival Pharaoh Sarcophagus Gilt & Enamel Retractable Pencil Pendant
Located in Van Nuys, CA
This vintage Egyptian revival retractable gilt pencil pendant features the shape of a Pharaoh's Sarcophagus. The pendant is crafted to resemble a miniature writing tool, often adorne...
Category

1920s American Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Gold Plate, Enamel

Rene Lalique Electric Blue Coloured Glass 'Graines' Pendant
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Rene Lalique electric blue coloured glass 'Graines' Pendant. This pattern features a branch with berries. Threaded tassles and necklace. Engraved makers mark, 'Lalique'. Book referen...
Category

1920s French Art Nouveau Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Glass

A Wonderful Old French Pull Along Circus Elephant
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
A Wonderful Old French Pull Along Circus Elephant Our charming fellow has a a very worn felt coat/saddle and a matching head dress, he sits on red tin w...
Category

1920s Arts and Crafts Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Felt

Jewels in Her Crown Treasures From Special Collections of Columbia's Libraries
Located in valatie, NY
Jewels in her crown treasures from the Special Collections of Columbia's Libraries, Introduction by Jean Ashton. Columbia University, 2004. 1st Ed softcover exhibition catalog. ewels...
Category

Early 2000s American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Chihuly Black by Dale Chihuly, Dedicated to, Anne Gould Hauberg 1st Ed
Located in valatie, NY
Chihuly Black, by Dale Chihuly, Dedicated to: Anne Gould Hauberg. Published by Chihuly Workshop, 2008. 1st Ed hardcover. Anne Gould Hauberg (November 13, 1917 – April 11, 2016) was an American civic activist, philanthropist, and patroness of the arts. In 1971, with the support of John Hauberg and Anne Gould Hauberg, Chihuly co-founded the Pilchuck Glass...
Category

Early 2000s American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Maritime Diorama of Schooner Yacht Atlantic
Located in Norwell, MA
Outstanding deep water diorama by noted ship model builder William Hitchcock. Titled "Breezing up in Bermuda", auxiliary schooner yacht Atlantic cruises into St. George's harbor, Ber...
Category

Early 2000s North American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Rare 1920’s Dunhill Unique Lighter Mother of Pearl and Horn Lift Arm Working
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A wonderful early Dunhill Unique Lighter with Mother of Pearl and Horn decoration. The Unique lighter series are special and this is a working beauty. The lift arm design works well ...
Category

1920s British Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Horn, Mother-of-Pearl

21st Century Italian Sterling Silver Chalice
Located in VALENZA, IT
Solid sterling silver liturgical chalice, completely handmade. The base is hammered and embossed with arched motifs that facilitate its grip. The mi...
Category

Early 2000s Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Sterling Silver

Art Deco Bronze Car Mascot in the from of a Lady Golfer, Jose Dunach
By José Dunach
Located in Bath, GB
A fabulous gilded bronze car mascot modelled as a lady golfer and mounted on a marble base. Signed on the base J Dunach; Jose Dunach (1886-1957) was bor...
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Splendid Steiff Mohair Teddy Bear on Wheels, Germany 1920s
Located in Milan, IT
The Sweetest Steiff Mohair Teddy Bear on Wheels, Germany 1920s
Category

1920s German Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Christie's Important European Furniture, Works of Art, Ceramics, 1st Ed, 5/2005
Located in valatie, NY
Christie's Auction Catalog Important European Furniture. Works of Art, Ceramics, Tapestries and Carpets. Christie's NY, May 2005. 1st Ed softcover with results. 598 lots in color. ...
Category

Early 2000s American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Girl Scouts Loan Exhibition of Colonial and Early Federal Furniture, 1929
Located in valatie, NY
Girl Scouts Loan Exhibition of Colonial and Early Federal Furniture, Portraits and Glass 1929, by American Art Galleries. Published by American Art Gallerie...
Category

1920s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Frankart Lady on Chrome Ball Smoking Stand Model T330
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Frankart Smoking Stand, Model T330 Nude lady holding up her arms holding a molded Glass Ashtray. lady stands on a Chrome Ball. All in nice Original condition, signs of use and wear...
Category

1920s American Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Art Deco Gold Painted Bronze Figure "Phoenician Dancer" by Demetre Chiparus
Located in BILBAO, ES
Dancer by Demétre Chiparus 1886 - 1947 Large chrysoelephantine sculpture in gilt bronze Marble base. Signed "D. H. Chiparus". Measures: 52 cms. alt. total and 17 cms. diam. base Good condition. Demétre Haralamb Chiparus was a Romanian Art Deco era sculptor who lived and worked in Paris, France. He was one of the most important sculptors of the Art Deco era. Sculptures of Chiparus represent the classical manifestation of Art Deco style in decorative bronze and ivory sculpture...
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Bronze

Andrew ROTH. Book of 101 Books: Seminal Photographic Books of the 20th Century
Located in Hillsborough, NJ
AUTHOR: ROTH, Andrew - editor, (Essays by) Richard Benson, May Castleberry, Jeffrey Fraenkel, Daido Moriyama, Shelley Rice, Neville Wakefield, (Contributors) Vince Aletti, David Levi Strauss. TITLE: The Book of 101 Books: Seminal Photographic Books of the Twentieth Century. PUBLISHER: NY: PPP Editions/ Roth Horowitz LLC, 2001. DESCRIPTION: LIMITED DELUXE EDITION. 1 vol., 12" x 10", limited to 500 copies, bound in 1/4 black morocco, spine lettered in blind, illustrated with numerous four-color and black and...
Category

Early 2000s British Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

Novels of The Sisters Bronte. THORNTON EDITION - 12 vols. 1924 - LEATHER BOUND !
Located in Hillsborough, NJ
AUTHOR: BRONTE, Charlotte, Emily and Anne. TITLE: The Novels of The Sisters Bronte - with - The Life of Charlotte Bronte by E.C. Gaskell. PUBLISHER: Edinburgh: John Grant, 1924. ...
Category

1920s British Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

1920s Yellow Gold and Enamel Spark Striker
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
An exceptional, fine and impressive antique continental 14-karat yellow gold and enamel spark striker; an addition to our boxes and cases collection. This exceptional antique 14-kar...
Category

1920s European Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Gold, Enamel

Fantasy Island Wooden Bag by Sarah's Bag
Located in Benalmadena, ES
This clutch bag from Sarah's Bag will transport you to a tropical paradise. Made of wood and adorned with a vibrant illustration that evokes the magic of a fantasy island, this bag i...
Category

Early 2000s Mid-Century Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Christie's, Catalogue Furniture, Silver and Porcelain from Longleat, June 2002
Located in valatie, NY
Christie's: Catalogue Furniture, Silver & Porcelain from Longleat, June 2002. Softcover auction catalogue with results. 302 pp. Featuring the late George II mahogany furniture commissioned by the 1st Marquess of Bath; the pair of French lacquer cabinets...
Category

Early 2000s English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Clipper Ship Model of Great Republic by Thomas Rosenquist
Located in Norwell, MA
High quality model of the Boston built clipper ship “Great Republic” by Thomas Rosenquist of Far Rockaway, New Jersey. Highly detailed with scribed deck, cabins, skylight, lifeboats, anchors, carved...
Category

1920s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Art Deco Austrian Pair of Cufflinks in Mother-of-Pearl
Located in Kitzbühel, Tirol
Charming pair of mother-of-pearl cufflinks in 800 silver. The cufflinks have a left and right hand portrait of a Lady in dark brown mother-of-pearl in Art Deco design. Handmade in Au...
Category

1920s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver

Wolfgang Laib by Ulf Kuster, 1st Ed
Located in valatie, NY
Wolfgang Laib by Ulf Kuster. Published by Hatje Cantz Publishers, 2006. 1st Ed hardcover with dust jacket. Wolfgang Laib's extraordinarily concentrated i...
Category

Early 2000s German Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Beggar's Opera by Mr. Gay, Nelson Doubleday's Personal Copy with His Bookplate
Located in valatie, NY
The Beggar's Opera. Written by Mr. Gay, to Which Is Prefixed the Overture in Score: And the Musick to Each Song, by John Gay. Published by Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Co. 19...
Category

1920s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Large Original Vintage Map of the South Pole, circa 1920
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Great map of the South pole. Unframed. Original color. By John Bartholomew and Co. Edinburgh Geographical Institute. Published, circa 1920.   
Category

1920s British Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Christies: European Furniture Including Property from Turbuence Antiques
Located in valatie, NY
Christie's: New York, European Furniture, Sculpture, Works of Art and Tapestries Including Property from Turbuence Antiques, March 2007. 456 lots in color on 365 pages, with results. The owner Moe (Maurice Margules) is a well known and colorful NY dealer...
Category

Early 2000s American Collectibles and Curiosities

Christie's Champalimaud Collection London, 6 & 7 July 2005, First Edition
Located in valatie, NY
Christie's: The Champalimaud Collection: London, 6 & 7 July 2005. First Edition softcovers with slip-case. Consists of 2 oversize catalogs from the auction. The 2 catalogs and their ...
Category

Early 2000s English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

1923 "Washington, The Beautiful Capital of the Nation" Baltimore and Ohio RR Map
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
This is a fabulous 1923 bird's eye map of Washington, DC that shows the city in amazing detail. Every building is individually drawn and all major roads in the city are shown. The vi...
Category

1920s American Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Swagger Stick from The Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Swagger Stick from The Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment Superb vintage Military swagger stick The Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment Malacca cane. The cane has slight curve ...
Category

1920s Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Cane

Private Treasures Four Centuries of European Master Drawings
Located in valatie, NY
Private Treasures: Four Centuries of European Master Drawings, by Andrew Robinson and Margaret Morgan Grasselli. From exhibition at National Gallery of ...
Category

Early 2000s American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Sotheby's NY Property From the Collections of Lily & Edmond J. Safra, Vol. III
Located in valatie, NY
Sotheby's New York: Property From the Collections of Lily & Edmond J. Safra Volume III, November 4, 2005. First Edition softcover catalogue on European Furniture and Fine & Decorativ...
Category

Early 2000s American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

The Pine Furniture of Early New England by Russell Kettell, 1st Limited Ed
Located in valatie, NY
The Pine Furniture of Early New England by Russell Hawes Kettell. Doubleday, Doran & Company, 1929. First Limited Edition. Hardcover. No Jacket. Exhaustive coverage of the subject; n...
Category

1920s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Scalamandre by Brian Coleman, Dan Mayers 'Photographer' Signed 1st Ed
Located in valatie, NY
Scalamandre by Brian Coleman and Dan Mayers (Photographer). Gibbs Smith, Publisher, Utah, 2004. Stated 1st Ed hardcover with dust jacket. The book is ins...
Category

Early 2000s American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Christie's London, The Proprety of Michael Lipitch Ltd., October 2001
Located in valatie, NY
The Proprety of Michael Lipitch Ltd. Christie's London, 4 October 2001. The family name “Lipitch” has been synonymous with antiques for more than one h...
Category

Early 2000s English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Rene Lalique Black Glass 'Grosses Graines' Necklace
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Rene Lalique black glass 'Grosses Graines' necklace. 9 beads. Book reference: Marcilhac 1500.
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Glass

Nautical diorama of CARLYLE COVE in Maine
Located in Norwell, MA
Nautical diorama titles "Carlisle Cove", yachting and lobstering in New England Circa 1921. 1/8th inch scale. A.Clark. This highly detailed diorama shows an Alden schooner yacht, sl...
Category

Early 2000s North American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Brass nautical compass signed DIRIGO Eugen M. Sherman Seattle USA 1920
Located in Milan, IT
Nautical compass on gimbal signed DIRIGO Eugen M. Sherman Seattle USA 1920s, mounted on custom-made walnut and brass board. Eight-twenty rose complete with protractor circle. The com...
Category

1920s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Art Nouveau by Klaus-Jurgen Sembach
Located in Bradenton, FL
Art Nouveau by Klaus-Jurgen Sembach. Softcover book, published in 2002 by Taschen. Printed in Italy, illustrated, 240 pages.
Category

Early 2000s Italian Art Nouveau Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

The Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné Paintings and Sculptures 1964–1969 (Volume 2)
Located in New York, NY
Andy Warhol (1928-1987) is arguably the most iconic figure of twentieth-century art, a highly enigmatic personality who not only altered the definition of art itself but also left in...
Category

Early 2000s Asian Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

2008 Alaska Duck Stamp Print by Robert Steiner
Located in Soquel, CA
2008 Alaska Duck Stamp Print 2008 Alaska Duck Stamp Print by Robert Steiner (American, b. 1949). Four Alaska Duck Stamp Prints are the focal point with "3...
Category

Early 2000s American American Classical Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Christie's Important European Furniture, Property from Moillie Wilmot, 1st Ed
Located in valatie, NY
Christie's: Important European Furniture, Works of Art, Ceramics and Carpets in eluding the Property of Moillie Wilmot. First edition auction catalog, 338 lots all in color and fully...
Category

Early 2000s American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Surrealism & Modernism From the Collection of Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Located in Bradenton, FL
Surrealism & Modernism from the Collection of the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. Hardcover book with dustjacket, published in 2005 by Yale University Press. Printed in Singapore, ...
Category

Early 2000s Singaporean Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Delightful Austrian Bergmann Cold Painted Owl Mounted Dish
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
A delightful early Art Deco Austrian marble pin dish mounted with two cold painted owls attributed to Franz Xaver Bergmann (Austrian, 1861-1936) and d...
Category

1920s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Marble

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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