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Collectibles and Curiosities For Sale
Period: 1980s
Period: Early 1900s
Kieselstein Cord Diamond 18k Yellow Gold 3D Alligator Cuff Bracelet
Located in Dallas, TX
This authentic Barry Kieselstein-Cord bracelet is finely crafted from 18k yellow gold featuring an intricate and detailed 3D sculpted full figure alligator, from the larger part with...
Category

1980s American Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Gold Leaf

Christopher Wool the Paris Review, 1989
By Christopher Wool
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Christopher Wool The Paris Review: 1989 The Paris Review book, with original cover design by Christopher Wool. Offset lithograph on double sided art periodical. The full book. ...
Category

1980s American Classical Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Jan Schoonhoven - Signed - Retrospective drawings and reliefs Art book (NL/DE)
By Jan Schoonhoven
Located in EINDHOVEN, NL
Jan Schoonhoven - SIGNED - Rare 1984 catalog for the exhibitions: the Hague Municipal Museum (1984) - Kunsthalle Nuremberg (1985) - Badischer Kunstverein Karlsruhe (1985) Author: Fl...
Category

1980s Dutch Minimalist Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Fine Pair of Mother of Pearl Opera Glasses by Dolland, London
Located in Bath, GB
A splendid pair of Edwardian Opera / Theatre glasses professionally re-polished to gleam, making them as good as they would have looked over 100 years ag...
Category

Early 1900s British Edwardian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Antique English Pond Yacht from Leek, England on Original Stand c1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Antique English Pond Yacht purchased in the town of Leek, England over 25-years ago and just purchased from a serious collector. Pond Yachts date from the middle 1800’s and unfortuna...
Category

Early 1900s English Country Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Art, Woman and Cars, French Book by Gilles Neret, 1989
By Modern History
Located in Atlanta, GA
L’Art, la Femme et L’Automobile, (Art, Woman and Cars), French Book by Gilles Néret and Hervé Poulain, 1989. When cars started appearing at the end of the 19th century, people hesita...
Category

1980s French Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Collection of Friedrich Ziegler wax model human heart development forms
Located in London, GB
Collection of Friedrich Ziegler wax model human heart development forms A rare collection of 4 wax models of the human heart, showing its early development to full size. The hand-col...
Category

Early 1900s German Victorian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Natural Fiber

Vintage Gucci Playing Cards, 1980s Italy
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rare Gucci playing cards in the original box. Cards are plastic and washable. Two complete decks with two jokers and a bridge card in French. Both sets still sealed in plastic and un...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Plastic, Paper

England 1900 Two Draw Personal Pocket Monocular Telescope In Brass And Red Wood
Located in Miami, FL
British two-Draws Monocular Telescope. Beautiful monocular telescope, created in England during the Victorian era, in the last three-quarters of the 19th century, circa 1900. This i...
Category

Early 1900s English Late Victorian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass, Bronze

Vintage Automatic Vending Machine With Coin, Italy, 1980s
Located in Palermo, IT
Vintage automatic vending machine with coin, Italy, 1980s in use in a bar in my city. It works with a 50 cent (euro) coin. Intact and functional, sma...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

French Bamboo & Rattan Doll's Bedroom, Playhouse, ca.1900
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
French bamboo & rattan doll's bedroom, playhouse, France, ca.1900. Bamboo, rattan, wicker & fabric. The set consists of a bed, a table, an armchair and a chaise longue. It is in very...
Category

Early 1900s French Napoleon III Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Fabric, Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan

A Victorian taxidermy fox dressed in complete hunting outfit with leather boots
Located in London, GB
A Victorian taxidermy fox dressed in complete hunting outfit with scarlet red hunting jacket with brass buttons, leather riding boots, jodhpurs and carved fox head...
Category

Early 1900s British Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Organic Material

Pocket barometer by C Baker in original case
Located in East Geelong, VIC
This pocket barometer was made by the firm of C Baker of 244 High Holborn, London and is still in its original leather covered case. The model number is 7073, ...
Category

Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

The Shining
Located in London, GB
Original British film poster for The Shining 1980. This chilling horror was directed by Stanley Kubrick, and stars Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall and...
Category

1980s British Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Victorian 1900 Three Draw Personal Pocket Monocular Telescope In Brass & Leather
Located in Miami, FL
Victorian two-Draws Monocular Telescope. Beautiful monocular telescope, created in England during the Victorian era, in the last three-quarters of the 19th century, circa 1900. This...
Category

Early 1900s English Victorian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass, Bronze

Large English nautical magnetic compass in brass and glass early 1900s
Located in Milan, IT
Large brass and glass nautical magnetic compass from the early 1900s, mounted on custom-made oak and brass board. Compass diameter cm 24.5 - inch 9.4, height with base cm 21 - inch 8...
Category

Early 1900s Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Large Mid-Century Italian Giorgio Armani Eye Glasses Factice Shop Display Piece
Located in Nuernberg, DE
This is a rare and unique item! The Armani Eyeglasses Factic for display in a shop comes with its original cardboard packaging and is made of metal and glass. It's a coveted collecto...
Category

1980s Italian Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

1980s Table Lighter Chrome Plated Huey Cobra Helicopter Japan
Located in Chula Vista, CA
1980s Vintage table lighter chrome plated steel beautiful helicopter design. Lighter is stamped Japan. In the shape of a Huey Cobra Helicopter Measure...
Category

1980s Japanese Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal, Chrome

German Tinplate Clockwork Wind Up Toy by the Lehman Co. "Balky Mule" Circa 1909
Located in Incline Village, NV
Perhaps the wildest action of all the Lehman toys, said to resemble Ernest Paul Lehman's temperament (founder of the company), "Balky Mule" was first manufactured in 1897 in Berlin (Brandenburg), and had a multi decade run; this example is from around 1909 (see image with markings to the rear of the carriage). The toy is catalogued as "EPL #425" and documented on page 59 and 60 of the book "Lehman Toys" by Jurgen & Marianne Cieslik, published in 1982. To operate the toy; wind up the attached clockwork key on the underneath of the carriage and place the toy on the floor. Do not over-wind and be gentle, as the toy is aggressive and over 100 years old. The toy will go backwards and forward, and the clown will pop up and down as the cart goes in several different directions across the floor until it winds down (see video accompanying the listing for guidance). The toy is found broken and/or inoperable, more often than not, because of the rough action, and typical abuse by children (after all, it was a toy). This example is in very nice original condition and works well. The lithography and hand paint is bright and original with no touch up or repaint. The hand paint is; flesh tones to the face of the clown, red trousers, orange hair, and grey paint to the seat of the carriage. The clothing to the clown figure is still intact and all original. The lithography to the wheels features brightly colored clowns and a German marking logo. What is really unusual is the fact that the donkey still has all four of its loosely attached original legs, considering the aggressive action of the toy. The metal on the donkey is actually treated with "fabric like" paint, to simulate fur. All in all this is a really cool toy and a "must have" for the collector of tin toys, or someone who simply wants a wonderful example of an early, "turn of the century" iconic wind up toy. Provenance: Recently acquired from a prominent toy collection in Los Angeles, California Dimensions: 7 1/2" long x 3" wide x 5" high Note: After 40 plus years of dealing and collecting toys, I am justly qualified to guarantee and present the authenticity of antique and vintage toys and children's playthings; important considering the fakes and reproductions in the marketplace it would behoove an enterprising collector, dealer, or decorator to take advantage of the opportunity to buy as many of the vintage tin...
Category

Early 1900s German Folk Art Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Tin

20th Century Drawings from the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York NY, 1987
Located in New York, NY
Exhibition book from the Whitney, 20th century drawings. Works by prominent 20th Century American artists, with descriptive text including.: Thomas Hart Benton, Elie Nadelman, Earle ...
Category

1980s American Post-Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Alfred Dunhill Briquet Rollagas Cigarette Lighter with Original Box and Papers
Located in High Wycombe, GB
Alfred Dunhill 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

Memphis, Barbara Radice 1984 First Edition
Located in London, GB
First edition, published by Rizzoli, 1984 ‘Research, Experiences, Result, Failures and Successes of New Design’ Founded in 1981 by designer Ettore Sottsass, the Italy-based Mem...
Category

1980s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Vintage Book: Man Discovers the Earth (USSR, 1986), 1J198
Located in Bordeaux, FR
Embark on a captivating journey through "Man Discovers the Earth," a vintage book from the USSR, circa 1986. Filled with captivating photographs showcasing the wonders of the world,...
Category

1980s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

The Tiffany Wedding by John Loring
Located in Bradenton, FL
The Tiffany Wedding, by John Loring with an introduction by Patricia Warner. Hardcover book with dustjacket. Stated first edition published in Octo...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

XXII Moscow Olympic Games 1980 Porcelain Mascot Misha Mishka Bear Vintage
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Original vintage Soviet sport Mascot for the 22nd Summer Olympic Games (Games of the XXII Olympiad) in 1980 held in Moscow Russia, Misha the Moscow Olympic Games...
Category

1980s Russian Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Porcelain

Rare Suite of Antique Royal Horse Artillery 1 Cannon, 1873-1901 Coat Buttons
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer for sale this very nice suite of antique military officer Royal Horse Artillery (1 Cannon - 1873-1901) 18mm ball button with Queen Victoria's Crown brass Mi...
Category

Early 1900s British High Victorian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Dr Forbes Specifications Bath Thermometer
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
Dr Forbes Specifications Bath Thermometer A great piece, the thermometer has a beech Case so that it can be floated to show the numerical temperature and also the recommended from ...
Category

Early 1900s Edwardian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Beech

Per Lui Special Edition USA Bruce Weber August 1985
Located in London, GB
Per Lui Edizione Speciale Bruce Weber Condé Nast. Mensile del Gruppo Vogue. Per Lui, Edizione Speciale USA by Bruce Weber, nº29, Luglio/Agosto 1985. First Edition. Softcover. 280 Pa...
Category

1980s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Vintage 1989 Barbie Mattel Original Pink Paper Book Covers NOS - Many Available
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage 1989 Barbie Mattel Original Pink Paper Book Covers NOS - Many Available. Item features new old stock vintage collection of Mattel Barbie book covers. Circa 1989. Measurements...
Category

1980s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Pocket barometer by J H Steward in original case
Located in East Geelong, VIC
This pocket barometer was made by the firm of by J H Steward and is still in its original leather covered case. The silvered dial with its blued pointer is surrounded by a rotating a...
Category

Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

American vintage cash register from NATIONAL, made of metal
Located in Milano, IT
We present a timeless treasure: the antique American cash register from the early 20th century, revisited and enriched with the charm of Italian lire! Enter a world where history an...
Category

Early 1900s American Art Nouveau Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal, Bronze

Late 19th Century Scientific "Cyclo-Stormograph" by Short & Mason Tycos
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous and appears to be completely intact. Short & Mason Tycos Cyclo-Stormograph under beveled glass & mahogany with a drawer which contains extra graph paper, tiny key and origin...
Category

Early 1900s English Industrial Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Tiffany's 150 Years by John Loring
Located in Bradenton, FL
Tiffany's 150 Years by John Loring. First edition, published in 1987 by Doubleday & Company Inc. of Garden City, New York. Hardcover with dustjacket, 192 pages.
Category

1980s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Superb Antique French Opera Glasses Signed Chevalier, Paris c.1900
By Chevalier Opticien Paris
Located in Bath, GB
A truly exquisite pair of Opera Glasses by the well renowned French maker, Chevalier of Paris, signed on both eye pieces. The glasses are made from polished brass and Abalone shell ...
Category

Early 1900s French Edwardian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

1986 Antoni Tàpies Book: 'Tapies i la Nova Cultura'
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Explore the artistic genius of Antoni Tàpies with this remarkable 1986 book, titled 'Tapies i la Nova Cultura,' edited by Polígrafa. This is a special illustrated edition, encapsulat...
Category

1980s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Antique Carved Fish Trophy of a Fochaber Salmon.
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
Carved Wye Salmon Trophy Fish. An excellent Fochaber's studio carved wooden cock salmon. The half block salmon has relief fins and is beautifully executed and painted to a high stand...
Category

Early 1900s British Sporting Art Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Pine

1980s Citizen Japanese Blue Steel Retro Vintage Industrial Antique Quartz Clock
Located in Leicester, Leicestershire
Citizen super tanker slave clock original blue finish. A reclaimed and restored maritime slave clock also called secondary clock of superior build quality. These clocks were us...
Category

1980s Japanese Industrial Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Steel, Cut Steel, Chrome

The Power Look at Home Decorating for Men by Egon Von Furstenberg 1st ed. 1980
Located in London, GB
Published by William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1st edition 1980 Furstenberg, Egon von, Prince and Karen Fisher A unique and of its time but a great and highly collectable source boo...
Category

1980s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Roger Erickson’s personal Brewer Team Rider Big Wave Surfboard by Owl Chapman
Located in Haleiwa, HI
1980s Vintage Dick Brewer Surfboards Team Rider surfboard. Roger Erickson’s personal surfboard. Shaped by Owl Chapman in the late 80s-early 90s. Features Waimea Bay...
Category

1980s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Fiberglass, Foam, Softwood

Pedestal or column display stand, wooden, early 1900s
Located in MIlano, IT
Pedestal or column display stand made of wood with finish the shaped relief, with repeated pattern, irregular cross-section and not round, although the support base and top are round...
Category

Early 1900s Italian Romantic Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Icon of the Exaltation of the Lord's Cross.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Icon of the Exaltation of the Lord's Cross. Tempera on board, chalk-gypsum base, gilding. Explanatory inscriptions are written in Cyrillic. Russia 18th/19th century, dimensions 31...
Category

Early 1900s Unknown Other Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Oak

Nineteenth Century Lighting Candle-Powered Devices 1783 to 1883 Book
Located in Seguin, TX
Nineteenth Century Lighting: Candle-Powered Devices : 1783-1883 by H. Parrott Bacot. Published by Schiffer Publishing, Pennsylvania, 1987. Illustrated dust jacket, many illustratio...
Category

1980s American Victorian Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

1900s French Brass Hanging Scale
Located in High Point, NC
A metal scale created in 1900s France. Tidy, industrial, and ornate, this set of scales exudes a sense of articulate composure and homey old-world charm. Two countervailing measuring...
Category

Early 1900s French French Provincial Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Scale Model Building
Located in Hellerup, DK
Antique French hand built metal on wood scale model of a buildings inner construction with many details. The scale model is made of riveted metal and has great patina.
Category

Early 1900s French Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Iron

English and American Textiles: From 1790 to the Present Book
Located in Seguin, TX
English and American Textiles: From 1790 to the Present by Mary Schoeser, Celia Rufey. Published by Thames & Hudson, New York, 1989. Illustrated dus...
Category

1980s American Victorian Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

1982 Moto Guzzi Cafe Racer V50 Italian Motorcycle
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
V50 Moto Guzzi Cafe Racer. A wonderful Moto Guzzi café racer. This customised Moto Guzzi V50 is a lightweight, 500cc powered motorcycle with visual minimalism, featuring low-mounted...
Category

1980s English Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Bally Pac-Man Arcade Game, 1980 USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage 'PAC-MAN' arcade game from 1980. Pac-Man was originally a Japanese video game franchise developed, published and owned by Bandai Namco Entertainmen...
Category

1980s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Complete Alice & the Hunting of the Snark, Illustrated by Ralph Steadman
Located in valatie, NY
The Complete Alice & The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll. Published by Salem House Publishing Topsfield, MA, 1987. First edition thus hardcover with dust jacket. Illustrated in...
Category

1980s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Black Colored Metal TV Television Tower of Nuremberg Scale Design Model, 1980s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Scaled model of the Nuremberg television tower also called Nuremberg Egg (because of the Design). A nice architectural sculpture for every living or man’s room. Diameter given in dim...
Category

1980s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Model of Malcolm Forbes Yacht "The Highlander"
Located in Norwell, MA
Builders style scale model of publisher Malcom Forbes' custom yacht "The Highlander". Highlander was designed by Jon Bannenberg and built by De Vries Sh...
Category

1980s North American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Scale Model Dropleaf Table Salesman Sample c. 1900
Located in Fraser, MI
Representational scale model drop-leaf table. Plank construction on hinges, turned legs. with plywood crossmembers, in cherrywood finish. One plywood crossmember is missing.
Category

Early 1900s Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Cherry

"Three Chiefs, Blackfoot, Montana" by Edward S. Curtis, Platinum Print, 1900
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Presented is a rare, platinum Master Exhibition Print of Edward Curtis’ The Three Chiefs. Typical of Curtis’ Master Exhibition Prints, this platinum print is double-mounted, signed, with an embossed copyright credit and date stamp. His numeric notation “52-00” is in the photographic negative. Curtis photographed The Three Chiefs during his two weeks on a Blackfoot reservation in the summer of 1900. The photograph depicts three Piegan men in traditional dress on horseback, situated next to a small stream with an expansive cloud-filled sky behind them. The Piegans were the largest group in the Blackfoot Confederacy and still retained a majority of their original culture when Curtis visited the tribe. It reportedly took Curtis several days to find the perfect prairie backdrop and riders for this photo, yet his patience paid off. The image was pivotal in enabling Curtis to form his vision for his next project - his ambitious 20 volumes “North American Indian”publication. This print is believed to be one of only three oversized, platinum Master Exhibition Prints of this image in existence. It was printed by Curtis specifically for his East Coast exhibition tour of 1905-1906. Curtis chose only a small number of what he believed to be his finest negatives to produce prints for the show. He never again mounted an exhibition of his work, nor produced such distinctive, large-format platinum prints. “The extraordinary rarity of The Three Chiefs becomes clearer when viewed in the context of other Master Exhibition Prints, principally the 108 in the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, the largest collection in existence. The Museum, however, is missing a number of early, iconic images, including The Three Chiefs. It has long been assumed that these missing prints were held elsewhere, possibly in the collection of The New York Public Library. This theory has been substantiated by the Curtis scholar, Bruce Kapson, who unearthed a cache of letters from Curtis to J.P. Morgan and to Morgan's librarian, Ms. Bella da Costa Greene in the Pierpont Morgan Library archives in 2007. The correspondence establishes that 58 of the 100 prints in The New York Public Library's collection are actually Master Exhibition Prints, specifically selected by Curtis for J.P. Morgan as the best examples of his work. A typed letter, dated March 1907, from Ms. Greene to Curtis states: 'I enclose herewith a list of Indian photographs which you sent to Mr. J.P. Morgan'. The letter is accompanied by a handwritten list of 58 photographs, including The Three Chiefs (print number 52.) Morgan donated this group of prints to The New York Public Library in 1912.” (Christie’s Live Auction 1893 Catalog, 2007). Curtis’ platinum prints make up less than 1/2 of 1% of all of the work he created. Curtis’ platinum prints were created only for exhibition or direct sales to patrons and they were always made by Curtis himself. One significant dealer in Curtis prints...
Category

Early 1900s American Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Antique English Dart Game Trophy Award Shield Oak Plaque Silver Plate c1909
Located in Shreveport, LA
Antique English Dart Game Trophy Award Shield Oak Plaque Silver Plate c1909. Direct from England, just arrived in our most recent container, we have several ...
Category

Early 1900s British Sporting Art Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver Plate

1900s French Wooden and Metal Horse Tricycle
Located in High Point, NC
A wooden and metal horse tricycle created in France circa 1900. Vibrant yet seasoned and matured, this sprung horse glides on metal wheels that roll it gracefully into modernity. Thr...
Category

Early 1900s French Rustic Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Snowdon Sitings 1979-1983 1st Ed. 1983 (book)
Located in London, GB
Published by Weidenfield and Nicholson London 1st Edition 1983 Photographs and commentary by Snowdon (Antony Armstrong-Jones); introduction by John Mortimer. 34 colour photographs a...
Category

1980s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Vintage Safe Deposit Box In Steel, Czechoslovakia 1980s
Located in Zohor, SK
Step back in time with this remarkable vintage steel safe box, a testament to both craftsmanship and security. Crafted in the 1980s within the borde...
Category

1980s Slovak Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Steel

An Unusual Pencil Drawing of “Canton”, a Three-Masted Whaling Ship-at This Point
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
An unusual pencil drawing of “Canton“ a three masted whaling ship by Harold Wyllie. New Bedford was a major whaling centre in the 19th century. Photograp...
Category

Early 1900s English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Collaborations: Andy Warhol Jean-Michel Basquiat. 1988
Located in London, GB
Published by London: Mayor Rowan Gallery, 1988 First Edition Scarce copy of the catalogue published on the occasion of a multi-gallery London exhibition between Warhol and Basquiat ...
Category

1980s Vintage 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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