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Collectibles and Curiosities For Sale
Color:  Brown
Miniature Travelling Chess Set Game handmade & Pokerwork Board / Box, Circa 1900
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
This is a high quality handmade Miniature or travelling wood chess set game of 32 pieces in its own lidded pokerwork decorated box, which we date to the English Edwardian period, circa 1900. This piece is all handmade. The chess set is complete with 32 wood chess pieces. The box is also handmade of wood, opening up to make a pokerwork chess board with further pokerwork design to the sides. All the pieces are hand carved, probably from boxwood with the black ones stained . The box has metal hinges and a brass fastener to keep the lid securely closed, with the pieces inside. Overall a quality antique handmade, complete, travelling chess set...
Category

Late 19th Century British Edwardian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Frida Kahlo, The Complete Paintings, XL Book
By Frida Kahlo, TASCHEN
Located in Los Angeles, CA
We access the intimacy of Frida’s affections and passions through a selection of drawings, pages from her personal diary, letters, and an extensive illustrated biography featuring photos of Frida, Diego, and the Casa Azul, Frida’s home and the center of her universe. This large-format XXL book allows readers to admire Frida Kahlo’s paintings...
Category

2010s European Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Fabric, Paper

DAVID HICKS Style & Design First Edition Book 1987
Located in New York, NY
A first edition book by David Hicks, titled "David Hicks Style & Design." 1987 printing. Hardcover with dust jacket.
Category

Late 20th Century English Collectibles and Curiosities

Small Cabinet de Curiosites with Marble finishing
Located in Schellebelle, BE
Very elegant cabinet de Curiosites with 6 drawers and nice marble finishing elegant feet and great patina.
Category

Late 18th Century Italian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Pine

Modern Industrial Menorah in White Oakwood and Steel
Located in Birmingham, AL
Display this modern industrial menorah in white oakwood and steel to celebrate eight days of Hanukkah miracles. Made with solid urban wood, so it's ...
Category

2010s American Organic Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Steel

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

Backgammon Roarshax Wood Case with Glass Chips and Dice
Located in Naucalpan, Edo de Mex
Backgammon is a very old strategic board game, from which its origin is still undefined. A true Classic game about tactics and luck played around the globe. Taking this Classic as inspiration, Orfeo collaboration joined skills to create a board game with stimulating materials and astounding chips. Shined a spotlight on to the raw materials used to create it. The exterior of the board is composed of two elements, a metalic box and a thinly sliced oyster cut veneer of parota wood. The oysters are sourced from reclaimed branches of these gigantic trees; a material that is commonly discarded as fire wood given the difficulties of processing it. Underneath the wood they have used a single sheet of meticulously oxidized metal that is laser cut to size, then assembled into a box by one of their master craftsmen. Opening the chest you’ll find a treasure of glass checkers and dice handmade by Orfeo Quagliata’s artisans. Orfeo takes his most interesting glass techniques to apply them to all the chips in the game. The checkers are manufactured in two different processes. The "Barcodes" technique is a fine linear design with schemes of different colors that contrast between one competitor and another. Thin strips of different colored glass are placed next to each other and then fused into a single piece, from which circular pieces are drilled, ground and hand polished to form the chip. The more sober and bitone "Roarshax" technique presents an electrifying texture on the top of a transparent body. Meanwhile the dice are solid glass cubes...
Category

2010s Mexican Rustic Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Steel

Scandinavian Antique Leather-Bound Books, 2000 Books in Brown And Red Available
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A large collection of Scandinavian decorative antique library leather-bound books Please note that the pictures listed are a sample of the books available and not the exact 50 books available. We will send pictures of the actual books before shipping them out. An attractive collection of 2000 mid-size antique leather-bound books. This lot of books on literature from Sweden are wrapped in leather-bound covers, comprised of varying rich, warm tones and gold leaf print embossing. The books seated side-by-side measures 2,5 meters, approximate 8´2 foot run. This collection of antique Swedish books are ready to ship and take their place, handsomely adorning your bookcase or library shelves...
Category

Early 20th Century Swedish British Colonial Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather, Paper

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

Carl Auböck Model #4500 'Lucky Pig' Brass Figurine Keyring
Located in Glendale, CA
Carl Auböck Model #4500 'Lucky Pig' brass figurine keyring. Designed in the 1950s, this incredibly refined and sculptural object is hand fabricated in polis...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

30:30 Landscape Architecture Book
Located in New York City, NY
30 internationally renowned landscape architects showcase their own work as well as that of 30 of the best of a new generation of forward looking and innovative designers. This up-to-date overview of contemporary landscape architecture...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Set of Three 18th Century Vellum Sunday Sermon Books
By Vivien, R.P. Michael, Alfonso Maria De Liguori
Located in valatie, NY
Set of Three 18th Century Vellum Sunday Sermon Books. 1.) Sermoni Per Tutte Le Domeniche Dell' Anno (Sermons for all the Sundays in a Year) by Monsignore Alfonso Maria De Liguori. Na...
Category

18th Century Italian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper, Animal Skin

Hermanos Calavera Jefe in Oiled Mahogany by Miguel and Ilse Silva for Wooda
Located in Omro, WI
These handsome but quirky brothers designed by Miguel and Ilse Silva for Wooda are the result of an engaging mix of personality, love, fun and mischievousness. Los Hermanos Calavera ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Hardwood, Mahogany, Maple, Oak

Art in Vienna 1898-1918, 4th Edition book
Located in New York City, NY
The rebel artists of Vienna overwhelmed the artistic establishment of Europe at the end of the 19th century, having seceded from the traditional Viennese institutions of fine art and named themselves the Vienna Secession. Their works shocked a conservative public, but their daring sensibilities and dedication to the applied arts and architecture soon brought them an enthusiastic following and wealthy patronage. The boldly modernist paintings of Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka and others were matched by the buildings and applied designs of architects such as Joseph Maria Olbrich, who created the Secession Building as an architectural manifesto for the group. This classic book, now updated and with additional colour illustrations and a completely new introductory chapter, brilliantly traces the course of this influential artistic movement.

Contents and sections:

Introduction

Vienna 1900

Secession The Beginnings The First Exhibition The Dedication of the House: Second Exhibition Ver Sacrum III–VI Exhibitions The ‘Klimt Affair’ – The University Paintings Exhibitions 1900–1902 Beethoven 1902 XVI–XVIII Exhibitions, 1903 The Split within the Secession Architecture and the Applied Arts The Ringstrasse and the Architecture of Historicisim Otto Wagner, 1841–1918 Joseph Maria Olbrich, 1867–1908 Josef Hoffmann, 1870–1956 The Wiener Werkstätte Palais Stoclet – The Stoclet Frieze Kabarett Fledermaus Alfred Roller, 1864–1935 Hoffmann’s Later Work Adolf Loos, 1870–1933 Kunstschau 1908 – 1909: The Early Work of Kokoschka and Schiele Kunstschau 1908 Oskar Kokoschka, 1886–1980 Richard Gerstl, 1883–1908 Kunstschau 1909 – Vienna before the War...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Beatriz Milhazes (signed collectors' edition)
By Beatriz Milhazes, Hans Werner Holzwarth, TASCHEN
Located in Los Angeles, CA
As vibrant as her unique visual language, this monograph presents the work of Beatriz Milhazes, the Brazilian painter who fuses modernist abstraction with the colors and light of her...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary European Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Four 18th Century Engraved and Hand-Colored Maps by Weigel
Located in Copenhagen, K
Small collection of four engraved maps of Italy, Balkan and of Central Asia. Two are of Italy, one Corsica and Northern Italy and the other of the Southern Italian boot...
Category

18th Century German Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

The 24K Gold Plated Cart by Christopher Kreiling
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The 'Gold Cart' is a fully articulated working shopping cart. It is made of steel and bronze then 24K gold plated. This is an addition of 100+ artist proof. ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Gold Plate, Bronze

French Eglomise Barometer
Located in Lincolnshire, GB
A fine decorative french eglomise barometer.
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Italian Gilt Carved Stand
Located in Dallas, TX
This short Italian stand is gilded in gold and was made sometime in the early 19th century. The 4 supports were carved in a serpentine form with a leaf on each one. It has something ...
Category

Early 19th Century Italian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood, Giltwood

Large Elm Tiller from the Brixam Fishing Trawler 'Provident'
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A large elm tiller with a bronze helm and turned finial from the Brixham fishing trawler 'Provident', 1924 Provident details: Builder: J Sander...
Category

1920s English Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Indian Goddess Figurine Statue
Located in Dallas, TX
Beautifully authentic hand carved statue of an Indian deity goddess. Distressed paint finish.
Category

18th Century and Earlier Indian Folk Art Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paint

Large 19th Century Indonesian Sculpture of a Bull
Located in Stockton, NJ
Massive and rare early 19th century Indonesian ship bowsprit. Originally a decoration on the front of a ship. Carved wood bull with natural horns. Museum mou...
Category

Early 19th Century Asian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Iron

1978 Gibson Estate Fresh ES 335 TD Semi Hollow Body Electric Guitar
Located in Ferndale, MI
Out of long term storage. Very original Gibson ES 335-TD guitar. Td model is equipped with Gibson " dirty fingers " Humbucker . This allows for higher outpu...
Category

1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Chrome

Concorde Supersonic Model
Located in Paris, FR
Model Concorde supersonic with light wooden body and all covered with riveted aluminium foil. On polished stainless steel base with item's descri...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Aluminum

Constellation Lockheed L1049 Aircraft Model
Located in Paris, FR
Aircraft model constellation Lockheed L1049, reduced model, lightweight wooden frame, handcrafted in aluminum foil, with engraved metal rivets. Measures: Base height: 26cm.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Aluminum, Foil

Vintage Gardening Russian Guide: Building on Your Homestead - A Treasure, 1J130
Located in Bordeaux, FR
Embark on a journey of gardening wisdom with this vintage book, a cherished guide titled "Постройки на приусадебном участке" (Structures on the Homestead), originating from Russia and dating back to 1992. In this thin yet informative volume, author Г.П. Рудаков imparts valuable insights into the art of building on your homestead. While time has passed since its publication, this softcover book remains in good condition, a testament to its enduring relevance and the care with which it has been preserved. Across 62 pages, readers are invited to explore the world of construction on their own property, gaining practical knowledge and inspiration. Though slender in size, this book carries a wealth of tips, ideas, and guidance for creating structures that enhance and complement your homestead. From sheds and shelters to garden structures, the pages within offer a glimpse into the art of practical construction. Perfect for gardening enthusiasts, DIY aficionados, or anyone seeking to elevate their homestead with functional and aesthetically pleasing structures, this book presents a unique opportunity to learn from the past. Embrace the teachings of author Г.П. Рудаков as you explore the nuances of building on your own property. Add this vintage gardening...
Category

1990s Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

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

Indian Blue Peacock
Located in New York, NY
Indian blue peacock taxidermy mount with a beautiful iridescent blue and green coloration. It is mounted on an oval wooden base and can be displaye...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Anglo-Indian Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood, Feathers

Silver Lady Woman Ex Voto religious Folk Art, Antique European, 1910s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A cute petite religious Ex Voto. I do not know what it is made of, thin and light filigree silver or silver plated metal. It is handmade, embossed and then welded. Given the delicacy...
Category

Early 20th Century German Art Nouveau Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver Plate, Sheet Metal

20th Century Italian Solid Silver and Briar Double Bass Player
Located in VALENZA, IT
Double bass player in 800 solid silver. The double bass is in briar with silver details. The double bass bow is in silver. The player and the double bass ...
Category

1980s Italian Other Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Silver

Demoiselle Crane Taxidermy
Located in New York, NY
This taxidermy Demoiselle Crane is a remarkable piece that captures the beauty and grace of this stunning bird. Mounted on a wood log, this mount measures 12" x 23" x 31" and provide...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood, Feathers

Machine Age Art Deco Doctors or Bathroom Floor Model Scale Weigh Master by Hanso
Located in New York, NY
Great Machine Age, American Art Deco floor scale, Weigh Master by Hanson. The scale is fully functional, it shows cosmetic wear to the paint finish, and th...
Category

1930s American Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Collection of Evelyn Annenberg Hall, 640 Park Ave Christie's, NY, 2006, 1st Ed
Located in valatie, NY
Collection of Evelyn Annenberg Hall from 640 Park Ave: Christie's, New York, 17 May, 2006. Louis XIV, XV and XVI Furniture, Chinese Porcelains, 18th & 19th c bronzes, antique rugs an...
Category

Early 2000s American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Arshile Gorky A Retrospective by Michael R Taylor, 1st Ed Exhib. Catalog
Located in valatie, NY
Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective by Professor Michael Taylor and Kim Theriault. Yale University Press, Published 2009. 1st Ed Hardcover with dust jacket exhibition catalog for show at ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Au Bucheron: La Chambre à Coucher (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
A soft covered trade catalogue of bedroom furniture and sets. Stylistically it looks to be dated from the late 1920s or 1930s; it would not have been before 1923 as that was the date...
Category

20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Spanish Carving of Saint John the Evangelist, School of Juan de Ancheta
Located in Valladolid, ES
Outstanding Spanish carving of San Juanito, 16th century, school of Juan de Ancheta. Juan de Ancheta (1533 - November 30, 1588) was a Spanish sculptor in the Romanesque style. His w...
Category

16th Century Spanish Renaissance Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Gold

The House and Garden Book of Classic Rooms, First Edition
Located in valatie, NY
The House and Garden Book of Classic Rooms by Robert Harling, Leonie Highton, and John Bridges. Vendome Press, NY, 1990. First Edition hardcov...
Category

20th Century American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

France Art Deco Horse, 1940
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
It was exhibited in the original Miami beach antique show and Palm beach "American International Fine Art Fair (AIFAF)". Horse in wood and chrome. We ha...
Category

1940s French Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Chrome

Homes and Gardens in Old Virginia
Located in valatie, NY
Homes and Gardens in Old Virginia. Richmond: Garrett and Massie, Incorporated, 1932. 2nd Ed hardcover with no dust jacket. 367 pp. The 1st edition was a g...
Category

20th Century American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

18th Century, Spanish Colonial Religious Painting of San Geronimo
Located in San Francisco, CA
18th century painting of San Geronimo, oil on canvas laid on wood board. It was later placed in a restored 19th century wood and gesso frame. There is no signature.
Category

18th Century Unknown Spanish Colonial Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Canvas

Great Bustard 'Otis tarda'
Located in Leuven , BE
This is a taxidermy of a great bustard and was made in the second half of the 20th century. The bird is mounted on a rock in a resting position with its wings next to the body.
Category

Mid-20th Century Asian Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Organic Material

Rare Big Adjustable Gymnastic Leather Pommel Horse, 1950s
Located in Praha, CZ
- completely good and original condition with minor damages - Czechoslovakia, around 1950s - adjustable height.   
Category

1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Steel

19th Century Miniature French Sedan Vitrine
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Charming miniature vitrine in the style of a Sedan chair. Very rare and unique piece to display a favorite item from your collection..
Category

19th Century French Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Astro tripod mounted telescope by Dollond of London
Located in London, GB
A mid 20th century tripod mounted "Astro" telescope by Dollond of London. 3 inch objective lens. Mounted on a teak tripod. Marked: DOLLOND ASTRO LONDON Chrome and grey finish. I...
Category

Mid-20th Century English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Chrome

Chess Game by Michel Dumas
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Chess game by Michel Dumas. Located in NYC
Category

Late 20th Century French Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Lucite, Mirror

PH Grand Piano PH150 Excellence, cognac leather with chrome, Modern, Sculptural
Located in Copenhagen, DK
- All prices are listed ex works. - 5 year guarantee. - We regularly crate, ship and install PH Pianos worldwide with full insurance. Please contact us for individual shipping quote and for any questions. The PH Grand Piano...
Category

2010s Danish Bauhaus Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Chrome, Aluminum

"The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" Book by William L. Shirer
By William L. Shirer
Located in valatie, NY
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, A History of Nazi Germany by William L. Shirer. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1960. First edition BCE hardcover with ...
Category

20th Century American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Large French 19th Century Hand Carved Wooden Fragment of a Marionette
Located in Buisson, FR
Very nice handcarved fragment of a marionette. France, circa 1850. Weathered, small losses and old repairs Measurement include the wooden base.
Category

19th Century French Folk Art Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Textile, Wood

Rhodes, James Ford, History of the United States, 7 Vols, in a Fine Binding
Located in Hillsborough, NJ
AUTHOR: RHODES, James Ford. TITLE: History Of The United States From The Compromise of 1850 To The Final Restoration Of Home Rule At The South In 1877. PUBLISHER: NY: The Macm...
Category

1910s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

Hanging Pheasant
Located in Eindhoven, NL
Decorative hanging pheasant. Fresh taxidermy.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary British Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Feathers

Tin Spinning Top Toy , Disney Characters by LBZ, Western Germany
Located in Antwerp, BE
Vintage Tin spinning top toy with lots of Walt Disney characters: Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Pluto, Donald Duck. This Tin Toy was produced in Weste...
Category

Mid-20th Century German Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Tin

Naomi Campbell
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Edition of 1,000 + 200 APs. Hardcover with four fold-outs, signed by Naomi Campbell, 496 pages, 33 x 46.2 cm (13 x 18.2 in.), plus companion volume, ...
Category

2010s Italian Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Other

Mini Chinese Moon Bed, Wenge Wood Model
Located in Somis, CA
Beautiful miniature, finely carved model is the exact replica of a Chinese traditional moon bed. The bed is decorated on all sides by carved panels in an intr...
Category

2010s Chinese Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

English 20th Century Iron Armillary Held by the Titan Atlas on Stone Pedestal
Located in Atlanta, GA
An English iron armillary depicting Atlas carrying the world from the early 20th century, with carved stone pedestal. Created in England during the 20th century, this armillary featu...
Category

20th Century English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Stone, Iron

Hidden History of the Kovno Ghetto
Located in valatie, NY
Hidden History of the Kovno Ghetto. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1998. Second printing hardcover with dust jacket. 255 pp. An important book published by the United States Ho...
Category

20th Century American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

American Walnut Satinwood Inlaid Valuables Box with Original Feet, Circa 1780
Located in Hollywood, SC
American Chippendale walnut oval satinwood inlaid valuables box with a carved molded hinged lid revealing an interior till with a secret hidden drawer, e...
Category

1780s American Chippendale Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Satinwood, Walnut

Norwegian Sterling Silver Bangle Bracelet by David-Andersen 1960s
Located in Stockholm, SE
Lovely and classic modernist style sterling silver bangle bracelet by David Andersen, Norway 1960s. The armring can be adjust to fit any preference you wish and are suitable for both...
Category

1960s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Sterling Silver

French 19th Century Gothic Revival Hand Carved, Lacquered, Parcel Giltwood Spire
Located in Firenze, IT
An impressively large and well detailed French late 19th century architectural model of a Gothic inspired transept-spire or church pinnacle. This Neo Gothic decorative finial is han...
Category

19th Century French Gothic Revival Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood, Giltwood

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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