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Scientific Instruments

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Scientific Instruments For Sale
Color:  Silver
Color:  Purple
Space Age Food Scale by Marco Zanuso for Terraillon
Located in San Diego, CA
Great design on this beautiful scale design by Marco Zanuso for Terraillon, circa 1970's, very light use and perfect working condition.
Category

Late 20th Century French Space Age Scientific Instruments

Materials

Plastic

Ornate 19th Century Agricultural Sack Scales by Bartlett & Son, Bristol.
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
Ornate 19th Century Agricultural Sack Scales by Bartlett & Son, Bristol. This is a very ornate set of Scales in cast iron they would have been used for weighing sacks of many agr...
Category

Late 19th Century Victorian Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Iron

19th c. Optometrist Eye Testing Kit c.1890
Located in San Francisco, CA
ABOUT An original Victorian optometrist eye testing kit. The interior of the kit is lined in velvet with the name and number of the lenses. The optical tes...
Category

19th Century American Victorian Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Silver

Antique American Mother-of-Pearl and Silver Overlay Magnifying Glass
Located in New York, NY
Antique magnifying glass, circa 1900. Tapering mother-of-pearl handle overlaid with silver scrollwork. Circular lens in metal frame. Handle ma...
Category

Early 20th Century American Victorian Scientific Instruments

Materials

Silver

1950 Film 16mm Camera, SOM Berthiot, France
Located in Miami, FL
Société d'Optique et de Mécanique Berthiot (SOM Berthiot) was a French manufacturer of optics and photographic lenses. They produced C and D mount motion picture lenses for professio...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Scientific Instruments

Related Items
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 Scientific Instruments

Materials

Metal

Fairbanks Scale Co American Doctors Scale
Located in Cheshire, GB
Fairbanks doctors scale in black with brass adjustable measuring stick, and cast iron pressure plate. Retaining there original weights. Dimensions: Heig...
Category

Early 20th Century American Scientific Instruments

Materials

Iron

'BANGA' Modular Space Age Architecture, Carlo Zappa Bungalow Int, 1971, Italy
Located in bergen op zoom, NL
Many Avant Garde architects and designers of the 1960s / 70s became fascinated with the idea of minimal living, a secluded retreat, escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and relaxation in the middle of nature. Thanks to new pliable materials, plastics, with their free and easy formability, lightness and especially their novelty, they developed micro bungalows and houses as either secondary vacation homes or for use in gardens. Italian developer Carlo Zappa undertook the challenge of designing and producing such a micro bungalow which eventually became commonly known as 'BANGA' .The first models rolled off the production line in 1971 and went through three production phases before production eventually ceased in 1985. Carlo Zappa not only developed the initial project, but personally executed the moulds, construction solutions, all the services detailing ie electrical, plumbing and metal hardware. Zappa's micro bungalow featured a total of 8.1 square meters of floor space. It offered space for up to three people thanks to a bunk bed, which could be folded down as a sofa during the day. A small bathroom with wash basin, shower / toilet, a small kitchen unit with sink and water heater...
Category

1970s Italian Space Age Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Composition

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 Scientific Instruments

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Round Sterling Silver Mother of Pearl Cufflinks with Bullet Back Clasp
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Round 14-karat mother of pearl cufflinks, marked "Sterling" featuring a 14-karat post with a dark blue mother pearl center fixed to a back clasp. The cufflinks measure 18 mm in ...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Silver

Small Antique English Brass Framed Magnifying Glass c.1900
Located in Bath, GB
A small antique English magnifying glass with a polished brass handle and frame. The glass has a good magnification and remains in undamaged condition. Dating to c.1900, it remains...
Category

Early 1900s British Edwardian Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass

Small Antique English Brass Framed Magnifying Glass c.1900
Small Antique English Brass Framed Magnifying Glass c.1900
Free Shipping
H 2.88 in W 1.25 in D 0.13 in
Star Wars Film-Used Props from Original 1977 Film
Located in Jersey, GB
- Three fibreglass pieces of Krayt Dragon bone that appear in the original 1977 film Star Wars Star Wars, episode IV: A New Hope (1977), written and di...
Category

1970s Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Fiberglass

Star Wars Film-Used Props from Original 1977 Film
Star Wars Film-Used Props from Original 1977 Film
Free Shipping
H 10 in W 14 in D 1 in
Cased Map or Chart Magnifying Glass by J P Cutts c.1870
Located in Bath, GB
A wonderful Victorian brass map or charge magnifying glass complete with it's original brass case. The lid of the case is signed by the maker using the anchor trademark together wit...
Category

1870s British Late Victorian Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass

Carlton Miniature / 1:4 Scale by Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Designed by Ettore Sottsass himself after his iconic full-scale object, the Carlton cabinet. Perfect reproduction of the Carlton bookcase. The vivid colors and seemingly random interplay of solids and voids suggest AvantGarde painting...
Category

1990s Italian Post-Modern Scientific Instruments

Materials

Laminate, Wood

Vintage German Made Telefunken Kra Red Bakelite Radio, Pop Design, Space Age
Located in Milano, IT
Vintage Space Age / Pop era Telefunken "KRA" radio, made in Germany and crafted in orange bakelite. Its captivating design and bright color make it very contemporary, and will bring ...
Category

1970s German Space Age Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Plastic, Bakelite

Chess Set by Marco Celotti Circa 1970
Located in Hudson, NY
A one of a kind chess set by Italian American artist Marco Celotti. Created circa 1970, the set is quit marvelous. Each figure is filled with detail. Even the individual pawns, each...
Category

1970s American Brutalist Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Pottery

Nikon Camera Lighter, 1980s Japan
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cool vintage table lighter in the shape of a Nikon camera. Tons of detailing to metal camera. Made in Japan. Excellent condition. Comes with original box. Good working condition. Gre...
Category

1980s Japanese Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Metal

Nikon Camera Lighter, 1980s Japan
Nikon Camera Lighter, 1980s Japan
H 3 in W 5 in D 3.25 in
Previously Available Items
20th Century Austrian Solid Silver & Enamel Barometer, G.A.S, c.1900
Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Antique early-20h Century Austrian solid silver & enamel barometer, of traditional design, with engines turned decoration and applied with a translucent light aquamarine enamel. Hallmarked Austrian silver (900 standard), Maker’s mark GAS (Scheid Georg...
Category

20th Century Austrian Scientific Instruments

Materials

Silver, Enamel

Leveling Device Georg Butenschön Hamburg, Patent, 1886
Located in Praha, CZ
Fully functional.
Category

Late 19th Century German Belle Époque Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass

Early 18th Century German Equinoctial Sundial
Located in Lincolnshire, GB
A good example of an Martin of Augsberg equinoctial pocket sundial in original leather and velvet lined case. The well engraved dial has silvered hour ring and gilt brass with a numb...
Category

Early 18th Century German Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Silver, Brass

Sublime 1888 Sterling Silver Repousse Barometer Cherubs Angels Grape Vines
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer for sale this lovely decorative sterling silver cherub repousse Barometer dating to 1888 This piece is fully hallmarked with the sideways facing ladies h...
Category

1880s English Victorian Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Sterling Silver

Swedish Silver Thimble Ring Dated 1846
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A silver thimble ring from Sweden. Dated 1846, and marked Q4 which is the year 1846 in the silver stamping system. The silver maker was called "Axel Gabri...
Category

1840s Swedish Biedermeier Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Silver

Swedish Silver Thimble Ring Dated 1846
Swedish Silver Thimble Ring Dated 1846
Free Shipping
H 0.79 in W 1.46 in D 0.63 in
Brass and Marble Culinary Balance Scale with Nickel Silver Weigh Pans
Located in San Francisco, CA
Elaborate marble, glass, and brass Culinary balance scale, the weigh pans of nickel silver sitting on brass supports. In original condition with makers plaque reading; Domingo Arciel...
Category

19th Century Argentine Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Marble, Brass, Nickel

Antique English Brass and Sterling Silver "Pocket Watch" Compass, circa 1890
Located in Bath, GB
A most unusual pocket compass created in the form of a pocket watch, the case being made from polished brass and the ring being made from English sterling silver. I have tried to ...
Category

Late 19th Century English Late Victorian Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Sterling Silver, Brass

French Equatorial Sundial by Butterfield
By Butterfield Paris
Located in New Orleans, LA
The ultimate 17th century traveler's companion, this rare and exquisite equatorial sundial by Michael Butterfield (1635-1724) is one of the first reliable and portable methods of telling time. The silver oval-form plate is meticulously engraved with indicators of the hours for specific latitudes of 42, 46, 49 and 52 degrees, which are divided in 15-degree increments that account for the rotation of the earth during a 24-hour period. In order to operate the sundial, the user must position the plate at a parallel angle that equals the local latitude. The gnomon, or pointer, must be pointed toward true north in order to give accurate time. Butterfield sundials are known for their hinged, adjustable gnomons that feature a diminutive bird, as displayed in the present example. The reverse of the sundial plate is engraved with the latitudes for various French and European locations, which makes using the sundial easier to manipulate. Butterfield sundials are known as "semi-universal" horizontal dials, meaning that it can be used at different latitudes, but not in the full range of 0 to 90 degrees. Though Butterfield was not the inventor of this type of dial, the precision of his workmanship and the tell-tale bird gnomon became synonymous with this type of sundial. To find an example in such pristine condition that was made by and signed by Butterfield is quite exceptional. About Michael Butterfield Michael Butterfield was a British clockmaker who moved to Paris in the early 1660s. His portable sundials...
Category

17th Century French Other Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Silver

French Equatorial Sundial by Butterfield
French Equatorial Sundial by Butterfield
H 0.63 in W 1.88 in D 2.38 in
French Maria Pergay Silver Plate Magnifying Glass Desk Accessory
Located in Atlanta, GA
Stunning silver plate magnifying glass by French designer Maria Pergay. Elegant desk accessory in silver plated bronze carved shape featurin...
Category

1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Silver Plate

Planetarium Star Ball
By Minolta
Located in Peekskill, NY
Over 50 years ago as a Cub Scout we took a trip to New York's Hayden Planetarium. It wasn't the show that impressed me the most. As we sat in the theater I couldn't take my eyes off ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Industrial Scientific Instruments

Planetarium Star Ball
Planetarium Star Ball
H 49 in Dm 24 in
English Nickel Silver and Leather Nautical Spyglass, A. Ross, Circa 1840
By Andrew Ross
Located in Hollywood, SC
English nickel silver over brass nautical ship captain's spyglass with a covered leather barrel, single draw, polished sunshade, and engraved focal tube by maker Andrew Ross of Londo...
Category

1840s English William IV Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass, Nickel

Antique Pocket Watch, Silver Cased Chester, 1884
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is a good quality antique silver cased Lever pocket watch with key. Keeping good time, this watch displays Roman numeral legend with blac...
Category

19th Century British Victorian Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Silver

Vintage, New and Antique Scientific Instruments

Decorating with vintage, new and antique scientific 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.

The Age of Discovery (or the Age of Exploration) refers to a period during the 15th to 18th centuries that saw Europeans taking to the high seas to explore, trade and conquer various regions of the world. What we know about geography, the advancement of sea vessels and the development of scientific instruments all broadened significantly during this time.

With every new finding about our world, scientists invented tools to measure and record. While many of these objects are now obsolete, they are essentially works of art and have a rich history. Scientific instruments of a bygone era represent how far science and technology have advanced.

If you’re interested in introducing antique scientific instruments and tools to your decor to add contrast or draw attention to otherwise unexplored corners of your living room or dining room, there are many options to consider as far as textures and colors go. Like any curious decorative object that draws attention to your home library or mantel, vintage scientific instruments will likely add spirit to any conversation that might take place over cocktails or dinner.

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.

Mid-century modern scientific instruments also capture a period of rapid progress, representing groundbreaking discoveries that defined the 20th century. Wouldn’t antique anatomical models of the 1950s pair well with your eye-catching abstract paintings, George Nelson clock or Florence Knoll sofa?

Whether you’re looking for a way to showcase your passion for chemistry or aviation or are making room in your foyer for a breathtaking industrial-style electronic time tower manufactured by Patek Philippe, 1stDibs offers a collection of vintage, new and antique scientific instruments that includes topographic tools, laboratory equipment and more.

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