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Collectibles and Curiosities For Sale
Biblia Cum Concordantijs Veteris Novi Testamenti Sacrorum Canonum, 1519
Located in Delft, NL
Biblia cum concordantijs veteris & novi testamenti & sacrorum canonum, 1519 A Bible by auteur Alberto da Castello, printed by Luca-Antonio Giunta, Latin Anno 1519, Venice 27-532-55 pages First alphabetical list- Tabula Tertia, after that comes the 1st full page woodblock plate. This title page in red and black with a surrounded frame in woodcut. Above the page “San Jerome” illustrated and below the page the printers mark “ Giunti’s Mark” from the family of printers in Florentine. The initials L A of Luca-Antonio Giunta. After this page starts a full-page woodcut illustration after that are 3 pages not numbered and then starts numbered page 2 – 532 On page 401 is also a full-page woodcut plate There are ca 345 small woodcuts...
Category

16th Century Italian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Carl Auböck Handcrafted Midcentury U-Shaped Brass Key Ring Chain Holder Knopferl
Located in Vienna, AT
A charming modernist U-shaped keyring / keyholder / keychain "Knopferl", designed by Carl Auböck in the 1950s. Handmade of solid polished brass by Werkstätte Auböck in Austria. Fully...
Category

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

Materials

Brass

French 19th Century Gilt Painted Barometer
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A gorgeous French 19th century painted and gold gilt barometer with thermometer. The elegantly carved giltwood surrounding the French gray-painted case is in a rococo and laurel leaf...
Category

19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal, Gold

TOLKIEN, J. R. R. - The Hobbit - 1937 - FIRST EDITION - FIRST PRINTING !
Located in Hillsborough, NJ
AUTHOR: TOLKIEN, J. R. R. TITLE: The Hobbit or There and Back Again. PUBLISHER: London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1937. DESCRIPTION: FIRST EDITION FIRST PRINTING. 1 vol., 7-11/16...
Category

1930s British Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Fabric

1930s Educational Model Depicting the Belly of the Woman Immediately After Birth
Located in Milan, IT
Educational model depicting the belly of the woman immediately after birth with a part of the placenta. 1930's, sold by the Hygiene Museum in Dresden...
Category

1930s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Plaster

Marbles Gladstone WWII Era Ideal Fixed Blade Knife Leather Sheath 8"
Located in Dayton, OH
Early to mid 20th century Marbles Gladstone fixed blade hunting / camping / combat knife. 4.5" blade with ridged thumb rest; aluminum pommel, leather wrapped grip. Includes leather s...
Category

1940s Rustic Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Bicorne of the "Cent-Suisses" - France - Louis Philippe Restoration period -19th
Located in Beuzevillette, FR
Wonderful and rare "Cent-Suisses" bicorne. This beautiful bicorne is made of black felt, with gold braid, and a six-turned gold braid trim, on which is the gilded brass Cent-Suisses ...
Category

19th Century French Louis Philippe Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Felt

McMurdo Aquarium Table Lighter
Located in Northampton, GB
McMurdo Pat 590598 Lighter From our Accessories collection, we are delighted to offer this McMurdo Aquarium Table Lighter. The lighter of typical half-...
Category

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

Materials

Silver Plate

Lot of Three Vintage Antique Mercury Glass Christmas Tree Topper German, 1910s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A rare set of three feather tree glass Christmas tree topper from Germany. Each is made from mouth blown glass, would be a great antique addition for your Christmas or feather tree. ...
Category

Early 20th Century German Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Glass

Male Ring Tale Pheasant Taxidermy
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
Male Ring tale pheasant taxidermy. Mounted on wood wall plaque.
Category

1960s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Animal Skin

Pair of railway lights by G. Polkey Ltd of Birmingham
Located in London, GB
A pair of BR(W) railway lights, by G. Polkey Ltd of Birmingham, circa 1950. With MOBILITE burner oil lamp. George Polkey Ltd of Pitsford St, Birmingham, Lamp Manufactures & Rail...
Category

Mid-20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Iron

Cartier Art Deco, 18K Powder, Lipstick 4.365 Oz. Auction Prices exceeded $35000
Located in Soquel, CA
Cartier 18 Karat Yellow Gold Powder - Lipstick 4.365 oz., Art Deco, Rare - Paris Rare and Precious Object from Cartier Paris, 1920-1925, .750-18KT yellow gold, carved antique Jade, 30 Ceylon sapphires, enamel. Please note the recent auction records prices reflect sales of $28,000-$40,000 for one of these compacts. The Jadeite Jade plate comes from the apprêts. The term apprêts referred to a stock of fragments from disassembled jewelry and other objects, including ancient items...
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Jade, Gold

Vitra Miniature "Wiggle Side" Chair by Frank Gehry Designed in 1972
Located in Naples, IT
For more than two decades, the Vitra Design Museum has been making miniature replicas of the most important pieces of its design furniture collection. The Miniatures Collection summa...
Category

Early 2000s German Mid-Century Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

Francois Linke 1855-1946, the Belle Epoque of French Furniture by C Payne (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
A beautiful hardback book which is in very good condition, with its dust jacket. Linke is considered by many to have been the greatest Parisian cabinet maker of his day when the worl...
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Early 20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Thonet Bentwood Other Furniture : The 1904 Illustrated Catalogue
Located in valatie, NY
Thonet Bentwood and Other Furniture : The 1904 Illustrated Catalogue and Supplements, by Thonet Co., Softcover Published by Dover Publications, Incorporated, 1980. Michael Thonet (17...
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1980s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Antique Russian Agate Silver Gilt Walking Cane Stick 19th Century 88cm/34.5 in
Located in London, GB
A decorative antique Russian silver gilt and agate handled walking cane, Circa 1880 in date. It has a beautiful cylindrical agate pommel topped with a decorative silver gilt lizard,...
Category

19th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Agate, Silver

Unusual Benedictine Map of Italy, Showing Various States of the Church, C.1745
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Italia Benedictina Delineata A.P.R.C.P.W.' Unusual Benedictine map of Italy, showing the various states of the church, with an elaborate cartouche. Part of a seri...
Category

18th Century Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Antique Victrola Silvertone Tru-Phonic Mahogany Phonograph C1920
Located in Big Flats, NY
***Reduced In-House Delivery Rates - Click on “Ask Seller” to Request a Quote***Antique Victrola Silvertone Tru-Phonic Mahogany Phonograph C1920 Measu...
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Early 20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Wood

The Catcher in the Rye (First edition, second printing)
Located in New York, NY
First edition, second printing of J.D. Salinger’s iconic American bildungsroman, first published by Little, Brown, and Company on July 16, 1951. The second printing followed in the s...
Category

1950s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Spanish Colonial Polychrome Nino
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Exquisite 19th-Century Guatemalan Niño Jesús (Infant Christ) Figure Hand-Carved Wood, Polychrome Gesso, Glass Eyes Spanish Colonial Style A striking and soulful 19th-century carved...
Category

19th Century Guatemalan Spanish Colonial Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Gesso, Glass, Wood, Paint

Vintage model of a Ferrari Hydroplane 1954 50cm 20th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a superb Vintage model of a Ferrari Hydroplane from 1954. Ferrari motor cars are adored on all corners of the globe and are seen as the ultimate status symbol for the rich a...
Category

1950s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Other

TORREY: Private Spaces: Great American Design
Located in New York, NY
New York–based modernist interior design firm TORREY delivers its first signature monograph showcasing a decade in design. Growing up in America’s heartland, Kansas, and hitting New...
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21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Vintage Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Large Shop Counter Display 20th Century
Located in London, GB
A large 72cm high Victorinox Swiss army knife, shop counter display, Mid 20th century in date. The knife with opening and retracting blades, over a tapered square base with inscript...
Category

Mid-20th Century Swiss Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Large Art Deco Bronze Holy Heart Sculpture Wall Plaque by Sculptor Sylvain Norga
Located in Lisse, NL
Rare and beautiful bronze Art Deco Christ wall sculpture. Some works of religious art depict Christ in terrible agony, but this symmetrical specimen from the European Art Deco era i...
Category

Early 20th Century Belgian Art Deco Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Bronze

Rare Mitchell Transcriptor Skeleton Turntable, "A Clockwork Orange" GLASS CASE
By Mitchell Mfg. Co.
Located in Buffalo, NY
Rare Transcriptor Skeleton Turntable, "A Clockwork Orange" Truely Amazing design,, Amazing engineering, Great original condition Tested and working perfectly. Transcriptors was foun...
Category

1970s Irish Space Age Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Aluminum, Brass

Edwardian Period Sterling Silver-Mounted Threaded Crystal Match Striker
Located in New York, NY
Edwardian Period, sterling silver-mounted threaded crystal match striker, London, year-hallmarked for 1901, believed to be Henry James Freeman - maker. Has full sterling silver match...
Category

Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Crystal, Sterling Silver

Stunning Christmas Vintage St. Nikolaus Santa Claus Belsnickel Candy Container
Located in Nuernberg, DE
This vintage St.Nicholas, Santa Claus candy container made of composition, cardboard, felting and Papermache was made in the 20th century and is a charming addition to any Christmas ...
Category

20th Century German Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Composition

S.T. Dupont Ligne 1 Gold Plated Cigarette Lighter With Dupont Box
Located in Reading, Berkshire
S.T. Dupont Ligne 1 Gold Plated Cigarette Lighter With Dupont Box Engine Turned Lighter With DuPont Box. Lighter Has Been Serviced and Is In Good Working Condition Made in Paris, ...
Category

20th Century French Art Deco Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Gold Plate

City of Dreams: Los Angeles Interiors: Inspiring Homes of Architects, Designers
Located in New York, NY
The longtime Angeleno and celebrated photographer Tim Street-Porter offers this sweeping survey of the best of both historic and contemporary Los Angeles houses...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

A Hermitage of American Paintings from the National Gallery of Art
Located in Bradenton, FL
A Hermitage of American Paintings from the National Gallery of Art by William James Williams. A leather bound, hardcover book published by Hammond Inc. of Maplewood, New Jersey. Stat...
Category

1980s American Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather, Paper

Vintage tin model car, Citroën DS station wagon, 1960s.
Located in Praha, CZ
This is a metal model with plastic parts The car is scratched or slightly dented in places Original vintage condition
Category

1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Taxidermy Butterfly Flying Insects Collection of Multiple Species (10)
Located in Chula Vista, CA
For your consideration, a framed glass display featuring ten (10) flying insects of different spices. Wood frame with double glass. No name or label present from the maker. Dimensi...
Category

1970s American American Classical Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Glass, Wood

Italian Medieval Gothic Carved Stone Saint Statue
Located in Buisson, FR
Beautiful weathered hand carved stone medieval statue depicting a Saint . Italy 16th century. Weathered, small losses and old repair. H:51cm W:18cm D:13cm
Category

16th Century Italian Gothic Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Stone

Antique Carved Oak Gothic Art Round Panel of Feeding Pelican as Symbol of Christ
Located in Lisse, NL
All hand carved, quality workmanship and symbolic wall panel in thick relief with high border. The character ascribed to the pelican in this context is nearly as fabulous as that of...
Category

Late 19th Century European Gothic Revival Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Carl Auböck Midcentury Brass Seahorse Handmade Key Ring Chain Holder
Located in Vienna, AT
A charming modernist seahorse keyring / key holder / keychain, designed by Carl Auböck in the 1950s. Handmade of solid polished brass by Werkstätte Auböck in Austria. Fully stamped a...
Category

20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

MCM Travel Domino Set in Miniature Briefcase
Located in San Diego, CA
Vintage MCM travel domino set in miniature briefcase, circa 1970s. A very cool domino set in a brown and tan striped faux leather case with 28 dominoes and the original instruction ...
Category

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

Materials

Plastic, Faux Leather

Mary SHELLEY. Frankenstein: Or The Modern Prometheus. 1839 - 3RD ED 4TH PRINTING
Located in Hillsborough, NJ
AUTHOR: SHELLEY, Mary Wollstonecraft - Frederick Schiller. TITLE: Frankenstein: Or, The Modern Prometheus - bound with - The Ghost-Seer. PUBLISHER: London: Richard Bentley, 1839. ...
Category

1830s British Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

Neoclassical French Gilt Silvered Bronze Complete Table Top Boxed Chess Set
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Neoclassical French Gilt & Silvered Bronze Complete Table Top Boxed Chess Set, Consisting of 33 pieces, 16 gilt bronze playing pieces, 16 silvered playing pieces, and the bronze-mounted chess storage box pedestal. This exquisite neoclassical French chess set...
Category

20th Century French Neoclassical Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Bronze

The Art of Fine Gardening: Craig Bergmann Landscape Design
Located in New York, NY
The long-awaited debut book on Craig Bergmann, pre-eminent designer of traditional gardens along the North Shore of Chicago For more than four decades, Craig Bergmann has been recog...
Category

2010s American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Edward F. Caldwell Gothic Style Jeweled Champleve Enamel Antique Folio Cover
Located in New York, NY
A very rare, fine large Edward F. Caldwell jeweled champleve enamel folio cover in the High Gothic Style. The central panel depicting a King on a white horse holding a large orb with a snake symbol, surrounded by exquisitely detailed Gothic heraldic elements and jeweled embellishments. Burgundy velvet lined interior, retaining original leather backing and spine, wear commensurate with age, ideal for a museum or private collection. Measurements: 13.63 inches high, 11 inches wide, 1 inch deep Condition: the enamel panel is in excellent condition, age appropriate wear to velvet, leather and interior pages. Please note, the enamel panel may be removed and mounted on a modern folio if desired. This piece may be framed or displayed as a decorative panel on a stand Edward F. Caldwell & Co was established in 1895 in New York City at 31 East 17th Street and quickly became one of the premier designers and manufacturers of fine lighting and decorative objects. Their commissions included J.P. Morgan's residence, Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Vanderbilt Mansion, Henry Clay Frick residence, Harvard Club...
Category

Early 20th Century American Gothic Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Enamel

A Fantastic 19th Century Cased Model of the Royal Steam Ship Himalaya
Located in Dublin, IE
A fantastic 19th Century model of the Royal Mail Steam Ship 'Himalaya'. This stunning piece is beautifully crafted with exqusite detail, labelled 'The Model Of The Royal Steam Ship ...
Category

19th Century English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Glass, Mahogany

1930 Ronson Tuxedo Art Deco Mint and Kelly Green Cigarette Lighter / Case Combo
Located in Red Lion, PA
1930 Ronson “Tuxedo” Art Deco Cigarette Case & Lighter Combo, Mint and Kelly Green Enamel A stunning example of early 1930s Art Deco design, this Ronson “Tuxedo” cigarette case and ...
Category

1930s American Art Deco Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal, Enamel

Le Corbusier Salubra Wallpaper Book Second Edition 1959
Located in München, BY
Second Salubra collection by Le Corbusier - 1959 Very rare and collectible. Original sample book from 1959. With the original movable frames, which can be passed over the color car...
Category

1950s French Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Fabric, Paper

WWII Japanese Army Type 30 Arisaka Bayonet Scabbard Hooked Quillon
Located in Dayton, OH
World War II era Imperial Japanese Type 30 bayonet with hooked quillon, wood grip, and metal scabbard. This early model was made between 1936 and 1943 and came from the Tokyo or Koku...
Category

1940s Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Antique Book, Days of King Arthur, Mythology, English, Fiction, Late Victorian
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique mythology book, Days of King Arthur by Charles Henry Hanson. An English language, hard bound fictional work with illustrations by Gus...
Category

Late 19th Century British Late Victorian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

1 Volume. Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol, Facsimile Edition
Located in New York, NY
1 Volume. Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol In Prose Being A Ghost Story of Christmas. Facsimile Edition. Bound in full red morocco, raised bands, gilt on covers and spine, front co...
Category

20th Century English Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather

Large Antique East Indian Brass Hindu Altar Temple Statue Shrine Mandir 1880
Located in Portland, OR
A good & large 19th century antique brass Hindu temple altar shrine, circa 1880. The shrine in two sections with a domed top and a turned & pointed finial, below is a shaped gallery ...
Category

1880s Indian Anglo-Indian Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass

Renaissance Splendor Catherine de Medici s Valois Tapestries 1st Ed
Located in valatie, NY
Renaissance Splendor: Catherine de' Medici's Valois Tapestries by Elizabeth Cleland. Published by The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2018. 1st Ed hardcover with dust jacket. 96 pages, with...
Category

2010s American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Legendary cube radio by Dario Mario Bellini for Siemens 1968 RK 501 Alpha 2
Located in München, DE
Iconic orange cube radio by Dario & Mario Bellini for Siemens 1968. Model RK 501 ALPHA 2. Design classic made in Germany. Fully functional with electricity or with battery. Very good...
Category

1960s German Space Age Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Dentist Chair Type III, Series 3266 by J. Corno, Union Frimor, France, ca 1920
Located in Delft, NL
A dentist chair Type III, series 3266 by J. Corno, Union Frimor, France ca. 1920 The heavy chair has the color in a mahogany look with gold line. The chair has leather headrests a...
Category

Early 20th Century French Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Metal

Mahjong Game Set
Located in Milan, IT
An ideal after-dinner game during family night or the perfect gift for board game lovers, this Mahjong game comes in a luxurious wooden box with a removab...
Category

2010s Italian Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Leather, Bakelite, Wood

Mahjong Game Set
Mahjong Game Set
$4,510 / item
An Ornate and Historical Tallis Map of Jamaica with Decorative Vignettes, 1851
Located in Langweer, NL
This original antique map of Jamaica is part of the renowned series created by the Tallis Company, known for their detailed and decorative maps ...
Category

1850s English Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Robert Stilin: New Work
Located in New York, NY
The latest projects by interior designer Robert Stilin Since the publication of his first book, Robert Stilin: Interiors, six years ago, demand for Robert Stilin’s work has spread f...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Tapio Wirkkala Stainless Steel Puukko Knife with Leather Sheath Hackman Finland
By Tapio Wirkkala, Hackman
Located in London, GB
Tapio Wirkkala Puukko Knife by Hackman Finnish Design This vintage Puukko knife, designed by renowned Finnish designer Tapio Wirkkala and produc...
Category

1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Brass, Stainless Steel

Mirror Mirror Reflections on Design at Chatsworth
Located in New York, NY
The world’s most important contemporary designers showcase their work within the historic setting of Chatsworth House to shine light and spark conversation on the intriguing juxtaposition of the old and the new, the past and the future, and the evolution of design histories and practices. Chatsworth is an extraordinary environment to experience design: a repository for great works of fine and decorative art commissioned by generations of the Cavendish family for over four centuries. Expanding on the eponymous 2023 exhibition at Chatsworth, Mirror Mirror features the works of sixteen contemporary artists through captivating in-situ photography with accompanying artist biographies and essays that unearth how historic artifacts and environments inform and inspire modern artists' practices today. This diverse group of artists includes Michael Anastassiades, Ini Archibong, Wendell Castle, Andile Dyalvane, Ndidi Ekubia, Najla El Zein, Formafantasma, Joris Laarman, Max Lamb, Fernando Laposse, Jae Sae Jung Oh, Samuel...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Billy Baldwin Remembers by Billy Baldwin (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
A resplendent memoir by the dean of decorators of his more than forty years of creating beautiful things for fascinating people. Billy Baldwin writes intimately of Greta Garbo, Cole Porter, Mary Wells...
Category

20th Century Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Lavishly-Filled German Wooden Grocery Dollhouse Store Toy 1900s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A beautiful grocery shop room box, painted and stained wood with lithographed wall and floor papers, side stair case and upper gallery, some drawers on rear w...
Category

Early 1900s German Folk Art Antique Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Porcelain, Fabric, Wood

Celtic Illuminative Art by Rev. Stanford F.H. Robinson, 1908
Located in Langweer, NL
'Celtic Illuminative Art in the gospel books of Durrow, Lindisfarne, and Kells' by the Rev. Stanford F.H. Robinson, M.A. Published 1908. 51 plates, eac...
Category

20th Century European Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Icons of Garden Design
Located in valatie, NY
Icons of Garden Design. New York: Prestel Publishing, 2001 pp. Hardcover with dust jacket. 176 pp. A book on masterpieces of garden design throughout the world. The book traces the d...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Collectibles and Curiosities

Materials

Paper

Persian Boxed Pahlavi Koran Quran Arya-Mehr By Shah of Iran gold leaf Manuscript
Located in Long Island City, NY
Persian Boxed Pahlavi Koran Quran Arya-Mehr By Shah of Iran gold leaf Manuscript. Large Persian Boxed Koran Arya-Mehr By Shah of Iran gold leaf Manuscript. S...
Category

19th Century Unknown Antique 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.

Read More

Medal-Worthy Memorabilia from Epic Past Olympic Games

Get into the games! These items celebrate the events, athletes, host countries and sporting spirit.

Ahoy! You’ve Never Seen a Collection of Sailor Art and Kitsch Quite Like This

French trendsetter and serial collector Daniel Rozensztroch tells us about his obsession with objects related to seafaring men.

Pamela Shamshiri Shares the Secrets behind Her First-Ever Book and Its Effortlessly Cool Interiors

The sought-after designer worked with the team at Hoffman Creative to produce a monograph that beautifully showcases some of Studio Shamshiri's most inspiring projects.

Moroccan Artworks and Objects Take Center Stage in an Extraordinary Villa in Tangier

Italian writer and collector Umberto Pasti opens the doors to his remarkable cave of wonders in North Africa.

Montecito Has Drawn Royalty and Celebrities, and These Homes Are Proof of Its Allure

Hollywood A-listers, ex-pat aristocrats and art collectors and style setters of all stripes appreciate the allure of the coastal California hamlet — much on our minds after recent winter floods.

Whaam! Blam! Pow! — a New Book on Pop Art Packs a Punch

Publishing house Assouline and writer Julie Belcove have teamed up to trace the history of the genre, from Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Yayoi Kusama to Mickalene Thomas and Jeff Koons.

What Makes a Gem-Encrusted Chess Set Worth $4 Million?

The world’s most opulent chess set, weighing in at 513 carats, is literally fit for a king and queen.

Tauba Auerbach’s Geometric Pop-Up Book Is Mighty Rare, Thanks to a Hurricane

This sculptural art book has an epic backstory of its own.

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