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Collectibles and Curiosities For Sale
Period: Mid-20th Century
Period: 19th Century
Edmé Beauchêne disarticulated human skull with museum provenance, France
Located in Leuven , BE
Edmé François Chauvot de Beauchêne (1780, Île-de-France – 1830, Paris), was a French physician, surgeon and anatomist. He was Chief of l'hopital Saint-Antoine Paris, the Deputy Chief...
Category

19th Century French Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Antique, Snooker, Billiard Cue Rack
By Orme & Sons 1
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
Orme & Sons Mahogany Cue Stand. A fine quality mahogany billiard / snooker cue rack raised on three bun feet with a central turned pillar. The stand is designed to hold twelve cues, ...
Category

Mid-20th Century British Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Mahogany

Pair of Mid-20th Century Large Copper and Holophane Lead Crystal Pendant Lights
Located in Nantucket, MA
This is a fabulous pair of vintage pendant lights. It is a married combination of large copper shades from a decommissioned ship coupled with a large, prismatic Holophane lead crystal plate...
Category

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

Materials

Brass, Copper

Spanish Baroque Sunburst Mirror Miniature in Gold Leaf Gilded Wood
Located in Barcelona, ES
Antique Spanish Baroque carved giltwood sunburst mirror with crest. Spain, 19th century. This lovely collection mirror has a carved frame covered with gesso and gold leaf finishing....
Category

19th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Gold Leaf

Large 19th Century Lacquered and Gilded Jewelry Box with Inlaid Mother of Pearl
Located in Nova Scotia, NS
Rare Victorian (c. 1850) lacquered papier-mâché jewelry box with inlaid mother of pearl and gilding depicting a floral motif. The mother of pearl looks of high quality and shimmers w...
Category

1850s Victorian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal, Gold Leaf

19th C Original Painted Game Board
Located in Los Angeles, CA
19th C original painted game board. Nice original Salmon and black paint.
Category

19th Century North American Folk Art Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

19th Chinese Checkers Game Board with Original Paint
Located in Los Angeles, CA
19th Chinese checkers game board with original paint form Pennsylvania. beautiful colors and patina.
Category

19th Century American Folk Art Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Large and Extremely Rare Terrestrial Globe by Newton
By Newton Globes - Planer & Newton
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A large and extremely rare 24-inch terrestrial globe by Newton Our most magnificent and rare globes were a pair of 24-inch Newton globes. These too were updated in 1852 (terre...
Category

Mid-19th Century English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Mahogany

Italy 1939s Sketch Futurist Poster "Day of Two Crosses" Against Tuberculosis
Located in Milan, IT
Sketch of the futurist poster "Day of two crosses, 16th April 1939, XVII", mixed technique of pastel and water-color, for an Italian campaign against tuberculosis, to inform people a...
Category

1930s Italian Futurist Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Mid-20th Century Brutalist Iron Hanukkah Lamp Menorah by David Palombo
Located in New York, NY
Hand forged, iron Hanukkah lamp Menorah in the style known as “Brutalism”, David Palombo, Jerusalem, Israel, circa 1950. David Palombo (1920-1966), was a sculptor and painter. He wa...
Category

Mid-20th Century Israeli Brutalist Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Iron

French Faux Stone Neo-Roman Style Window Theater Decor
Located in Dallas, TX
This fabulous French architectural window was once used in a play or film as a prop. Made of sand, plaster and wood, this piece could be used as a piece of artwork, a mirror surround, or an overdoor. It has an incredibly realistic stone appearance, and is in the French Roman...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Plaster, Wood, Foam

Cast Iron Mortar
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

Original Antique Print, Portrait of Lord Nelson, circa 1850
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Great image of Lord Nelson Fine steel engraving by H.Robinson After J.Hoppner Published circa 1850 Unframed.
Category

1850s English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Three Framed Plates from "L'ornement Polychrome" Edited by Racinet
By Auguste Racinet
Located in Hanover, MA
Three mounted and giltwood framed chromolithograph plates from L'Ornement Polychrome: Motifs de tous les styles, art ancien et asiatique, Moyen Age, Renaissance, XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles, by A. Racinet, 1869-1873. Published by Firmin-Didot, Paris. Specifically, the three framed plates are Middle Ages, Renaissance and 17th century. This reference work “created to render major services to our industrial arts” brings the archeological art...
Category

19th Century French Victorian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Giltwood

Set of Bobby Jones Poker Chips
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
Vintage Bobby Jones Gaming Chips and Container. A nice set of gambling counters (poker, gambling, gaming chips) in a rectangular wooden keeper. The carrier contains 8 individual circ...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Hardwood

Ancient Crossroads: Albania to Assyria in Antiquity, Published in 1880
Located in Langweer, NL
The map titled "ALBANIA, IBERIA, COLCHIS, ARMENIA, MESOPOTAMIA, BABYLONIA, ASSYRIA" portrays the ancient regions that would encompass parts of modern-day Eastern Turkey, Armenia, Aze...
Category

1880s Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

19th Century Dutch Miniature Secretaire Cabinet
Located in Casteren, NL
19th century miniature secretaire cabinet made from Oakwood. Decorative object, can be used as jewelry/letter box. Originates Netherlands, dating, circa 1800
Category

Early 19th Century Dutch Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Oak

Antique Book Set, 13 Vols Charles Dickens Novels, English, Fiction, Victorian
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique set of 13 Charles Dickens novels. An English language, comprehensive library of fiction books, dating to the Victorian period, published 1866 to 1868. Synonymous...
Category

Mid-19th Century British Victorian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

18th Century Louis XVI Giltwood Wall Barometer
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A beautifully carved and giltwood 18th century Louis XVI wall barometer having its original mercury tube and mechanism but presently with the mercury missing.    
Category

Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Giltwood

Mid Century Japanese Fuji Meibo Naval Binocular Nardo Grey & Brass -Original box
Located in Leicester, Leicestershire
Japanese Fuji Meibo Observation Binoculars 15 x 80 - 4 degree field of view. A large pair of Japanese naval observation binoculars mounted on an a...
Category

1950s Japanese Industrial Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Aluminum, Brass

Charles and Ray Eames Molded Plywood Leg Splint for Evans in Original Wrapper
Located in Chicago, IL
These leg splints were designed by Charles and Ray Eames and produced for the United States Navy by the Evans Products Company, molded plywood division. They're still in their origin...
Category

1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Plywood

Antique Book, Thoughts on Hunting by William Beckford, English, Georgian, 1810
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique book, Thoughts on Hunting by William Beckford. An English language hard bound compendium of sporting letters, dating to the Georgian period, published 1810. An En...
Category

Early 19th Century European Georgian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

5000 ANTIQUE ITALIAN TERRACOTTA BRICKS 10X20X5 CM REFRACTORY end 19th/20th Cent.
Located in Madrid, ES
5000 ANTIQUE ITALIAN TERRACOTTA BRICKS 10X20X5 CM REFRACTORY end 19th/20th Century WE SELL EACH BRICKS AT € 5,00 Handmade, bricks measuring 20x10x5 cm, more or less the same size used by the Romans to make Opus Spigatum, original ancient bricks...
Category

Late 19th Century Italian Modern Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Terracotta

Ship's Brass Porthole Coffee or Side Table by Deborah Lockhart Phillips
Located in Nantucket, MA
Solid brass working nautical porthole window from a decommissioned ship with great patina. This has been polished, the rivets put back in and the table base designed by Deborah Lockh...
Category

Mid-20th Century Industrial Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

1854 Autographs for Freedom Abolitionist Book
Located in Seguin, TX
Autographs for Freedom edited by Griffiths, Julia. Published by Alden, Beardsley & Co; Wanzer, Beardsley & Co, Auburn 1854. A collection of Anti-Slavery Testimonies from the Roch...
Category

Mid-19th Century American Rustic Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Miniature Salesman's Sample of Neoclassical Inlaid Cabinet
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Miniature salesman's sample of cabinet with two doors and four drawers. Beautifully made with inlaid banding details. Would make a sweet little Jewelry box for keepsakes.
Category

19th Century English Neoclassical Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Mahogany

Small Cast Iron Sewing Machine 1890 Junker & Ruh Art Nouveau Germany
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Small Cast Iron Sewing Machine 1890 Junker & Ruh Art Nouveau
Category

1890s German Art Nouveau Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Exquisite 19th Century Black Forest Humidor Hand Carved Cabinet Eagle Mounted
Located in High Wycombe, GB
Exquisite 19th Century Hand Carved Black Forest Humidor Cigar Cabinet3 Featuring Ornate Carved Floral Panel Frontage Finished With An Eagle Finial On The Top. The Two Doors Reveal ...
Category

19th Century Swiss Black Forest Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

WWII Kriegsmarine Binoculars 1940 -1945
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Fully polished German Kriegsmarine binoculars that were used on German warships during the Second World War for anti-aircraft guns and as observation binoculars. The lenses are coate...
Category

1940s German Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Aluminum

4 Desk Top Model Aeroplane, KLM, Britannia, EvaAir and Emirates
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
4 Desk Top Model Aeroplane, KLM, Britannia, EvaAir and Emirates These are 4 pieces of Aeronautical nostalgia Vintage KLM Boeing 767-300 KLM BRITANNIA 757-200 EVA AIR CARGO CARGO ...
Category

1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Plastic

Honored Knight of the Order of Vittorio Veneto-Medal in 18Kt Gold 750
Located in Catania, IT
Honored Knight of the Order of Vittorio Veneto framed with two medals. An 18 kt gold 750 medal - 50th Anniversary of Victory and the other medal Cross of the Order of Vittorio Venet...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Gold

Regency Mahogany Miniature Table Cabinet
Located in Bedfordshire, GB
A Good Quality And Charming Early 19th Century Regency Period Mahogany Miniature Table Cabinet, Having Rectangular Top Over Superbly Figured Panelled Doors, Enclosing Four Concealed ...
Category

Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Mahogany

Antique 24 Karat Gold Egyptian Revival Scarab Pendant Brooch Cesare Tombini 1870
Located in Portland, OR
A wonderful antique 24 karat gold Egyptian Revival brooch set with an ancient 1500 B.C.E Egyptian faience pottery scarab, by the famous 19th century Italian jeweler Cesare Tombini, c...
Category

1870s Italian Egyptian Revival Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Gold

Chinese Wooden Block Printing Set, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Chinese innovations in ink, block printing, and movable type fueled global advancements in printing technology, expanding the range of influence of the written word. These printing innovations can be attributed to Chinese Buddhist devotees, who embraced woodblock printing as an important vehicle to spread sutras and good spirits. Though the printing press is said to have been invented in China, it never offered the same efficiencies to Chinese culture as it did in the West, due to the near endless numbers of Chinese characters and the labor involved in manipulating them. Enclosed in a contemporary wooden frame, each of the miniature wood blocks included in this early 20th-century type set was hand-carved with a Chinese character. Each is a unique and wonderful curiosity, providing an unusual look at a moment in time. Each set contains approximately 70 individual tiles.
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Tiffany & Co. 1960 Modernist Zippo Petrol Fluid Pocket Lighter 14Kt Yellow Gold
Located in Miami, FL
Pocket lighter designed by Tiffany & Co. Gorgeous luxury pocket lighter, created in New York city by Tiffany & Co, back in the 1960. The lighter's case has been crafted with sharp g...
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Gold

Mid-Century Modern Cabinet Console Record Player attributed to Ico Parisi design
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Cabinet Console of the 1930s in burr walnut and walnut flame applied veneered. Cabinet with two shelves, the upper with central flap drawer with internal turntable Record...
Category

1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Walnut

Queen Victoria Authentic Strand of Hair with Certificate of Authenticity
Located in Jersey, GB
Few British rulers have cast as long a shadow as Queen Victoria. Her reign lasted 63 years, which stood as the record up until great-granddaughter Elizabeth II surpassed her in 2015....
Category

19th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Other

19th C Walking Stick With Silver Plate Handle Top Above Hand Carved Cane
Located in Incline Village, NV
Vintage fine quality American hand crafted silver plated handle top walking stick; the top is meticulously decorated in repousse motifs with great attention to detail. The completely...
Category

1880s American Victorian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver Plate

Vintage Industrial Flameproof Edison Tube Light - Aquamarine Green
Located in Leicester, Leicestershire
Reclaimed vintage Industrial Korean flameproof striplight made by Daeyang in the 1970's painted aquamarine green. Original item salvaged from supertankers and military vessels where ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Korean Industrial Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Aluminum, Brass

Ignatius Taschner Jugendstil Brass and Copper Monkey Cheroot Cutter, circa 1900
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
A rare and unusual German Jugendstil brass, copper and steel cheroot cutter modeled as a monkey sat within a rounded tray. The tail lifts and acts as the cutting edge with a small ho...
Category

Late 19th Century German Jugendstil Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Erard Parallel-Strung Grand Piano with Bench, Paris, 1895
By Maison Erard, Sébastien Érard
Located in Littleton, CO
This beautiful grand piano was built by Erard in Paris in 1895. With irreplaceable original cabinet art created and signed by an artist named Finel - specifically commissioned by th...
Category

1890s French Romantic Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Erard Parallel-Strung Grand Piano, Paris, 1845
Located in Littleton, CO
This Erard parallel-strung grand piano, crafted in Paris in 1845, has been extraordinarily well-tended, restored and maintained, enduring today as not only a spectacular example of the pinnacle of 19th Century piano design - characterized by its innovative construction and exceptional sonoral qualities - but also as a premium instrument by the most advanced modern standards, concert-ready for world-class, discriminating performers and their audiences. Erard was a renowned piano manufacturer established by Sébastien Erard, and for much of the 19th Century, the company produced some of the most exquisite and innovative European pianos of the era. The sound produced by this parallel-strung grand piano is characterized by a clarity and transparency that distinguishes it from its contemporaries. The parallel arrangement of strings contributes to a more direct transfer of sound energy, resulting in a balanced and articulate tone across the instrument's registers. This piano's tone is beloved for its sweetness in the treble range and a robust quality in the bass, while also allowing for an especially nuanced and expressive interpretation of the musical repertoire of its era. The ebony and ivory keyboard is a testament to the meticulous attention Erard paid to the tactile experience of playing. Each key is precision-weighted, providing a responsive touch that allows the pianist to articulate a wide range of dynamics and expressiveness. An interior faux tableau latches to the outer case lid in an open position for maximum concert volume, and rests in a lowered position to maintain a softer, more muted experience. The year 1845 places this Erard instrument in the heart of the Romantic era, a period marked by a surge in musical creativity and emotional expression. Composer/performers like Chopin and Liszt were drawn to Erard grand...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Romantic Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

1947 Hand Painted Premier British Royal Airforce Drum with Royal Coat of Arms
Located in Morristown, NJ
1947 England, a hand painted Premier Percussion British Royal Air Force drum. The drum has been painted with a black main body, a richly colored royal coat of arms and the motto of t...
Category

1940s English Campaign Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Animal Skin, Paint, Rope, Leather

1 Volume. Lewis Carroll, The Works.
Located in New York, NY
1 Volume. Lewis Carroll, The Works. First Nonesuch Edition. Bound in 3/4 green calf and linen boards. The covers and raised band spine are gilt-tooled with a tan morocco label. The t...
Category

Mid-20th Century English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

3 Volumes. Henry Hallam, View of the State of Europe During the Middle Ages.
Located in New York, NY
3 Volumes. Henry Hallam, View of the State of Europe During the Middle Ages. Bound in full tree calf. The covers and raised band spines display gilt-tooling with red and green morocc...
Category

Mid-19th Century English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

English Jockey Scale By Pooly & Son
Located in New Orleans, LA
This handsome English jockey scale comes from Pooly & Son of Liverpool, one of the leading manufacturers of weighing machines in the 19th century. These ingenious scales were used at...
Category

19th Century English Victorian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Original Vintage 1966 Austin Cox Chess Set
Located in East Hampton, NY
Marked Austin Enterprises to the bottom of every piece, this wonderful vintage aluminum chess game set from 1966 comes in its original box. The box can be hung on the wall (see im...
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Aluminum

2 Volumes. Edmondo de Amicis, Constantinople.
Located in New York, NY
2 Volumes. Edmondo de Amicis, Constantinople. Bound in 3/4 brown calf and marbled boards. The covers and raised band spines display gilt-tooled detailing with green and black morocco...
Category

Late 19th Century American Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

Art Deco Ashtray Stand, Chrome and Bakelite, Demeyere Belgium, 1930s
Located in Antwerp, BE
Art Deco ashtray stand, smoke stand, smoke standing ashtray, floor ashtray, cocktail smoker stand. An ashtray on a stand made from chromed metal and bakelite. Made in the 1930s by the Belgian Company Demeyere. Is also stamped in the ashtray. The chrome and bakelite are still in very beautiful condition. This ashtray stand is also still complete with all his accessoires: the stand with on top the holder for a pack of matches, a bakelite conical container with a bakelite ashtray in which has a valve with handle to open, so the cigarette ends fall in the container and all the beautiful finishing knobs. This original Art Deco smoke stand...
Category

Mid-20th Century Belgian Art Deco Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Chrome

Art Deco Ashtray Stand, Chrome and Bakelite by Demeyere, Belgium, 1930s
Located in Saarburg, RP
Art Deco ashtray stand This beautiful and rare Art Deco Ashtray Stand from the 20s/30s is in the streamline modern art deco style. The designer of this extraordinary object has succ...
Category

1930s Belgian Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal, Iron, Chrome

Yates Gold Cup
By Hannah Northcote
Located in New Orleans, LA
Remarkable in scale and artistry, this George III-style cup and cover was created by the famed London silversmith Hannah Northcote. Set on a circular foot and taking the form of a vase, the cup features two leaf-capped handles and a detachable domed cover crowned with a bud finial. Astounding in craftsmanship given the scarcity of gold at the time of its creation, the sentimental message engraved within the frontal cartouche indicates the prestigious provenance that further distinguishes this cup. Originally commissioned by Robert Peel, the father of 19th century British Prime Minister Robert Peel, the gold cup...
Category

19th Century English Georgian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Gold

Edwardian Diminutive Post Box, Early 20th Century
Located in Spencertown, NY
The oak box with brass Royal Georgian plaque on top, pick up times on the front. The brass lock and key affixed to the door.
Category

Late 19th Century English Edwardian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

White Tailed Eagle 'Haliaeetus Albicilla' Mounted on a Branch, 1959
Located in Leuven , BE
The White-Tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) is a bird of prey that feeds itself mainly with fish, but it also hunts on birds, rabbits and hares....
Category

Mid-20th Century European Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Organic Material

Antique English Victorian Brass Desk Bell, Circa 1880's.
Located in New Orleans, LA
Antique English Victorian Brass Desk Bell, Circa 1880's.
Category

Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Abstract Mid-Century Ceramic Cross
Located in Chicago, IL
This mid-century modern ceramic cross is an exemplary piece of European studio pottery that displays the innovative and abstract artistry of the period...
Category

1950s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Ceramic

19th Century Austrian Black Forest Hunting Trophy with Deer Head
Located in Kitzbuhel, AT
19th century hughe deer head hand-carved in oakwood with real deer horns. The eyes with real eyelashes. Mounted on a great carved wood plaque with leaves and acorns in the style of ...
Category

Late 19th Century Austrian Black Forest Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Oak, Wood

Modernist Space Age Clairtone G3 T13 Stereo System with Globe Speakers
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage classic Modernist / Spaceage of high design Clairtone G3 T13 with Garrard turntable all made in Canada.Amazing design.. All functions workin...
Category

1960s Canadian Space Age Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Large Antique Soild Oak Sculpture of Saint John the Baptist w. Lamb of God 1850
Located in Lisse, NL
Unique hand carved church statue of Jewish prophet, John the Baptist, circa 1850. When you think of the life of Saint John the Baptist (or Baptiste as it is spelled here) then you can only come to the conclusion that in fact he was one of the most important human beings in the history of the world in general and of Christianity in particular. Saint John is sometimes depicted with a lamb to symbolise his recognition of Jesus as the Son of God. When John baptised Jesus in the River Jordan he said 'Behold, the Lamb of God'. In this case the sculptor chose to portray a standing lamb which is a rare feature and this antique was obviously carved in the Baroque Style. This Style is less detailed (or some would say 'more naive') than for example the Renaissance Style, but there are many collectors who love and collect this Style. Also, because it was most used in antique churches all over Europe and this Style also is most used in antique religious paintings of the old masters. Just like with 17th century Baroque Saint...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Baroque Revival Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood, Oak

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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