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Scientific Instruments For Sale
Zoological Lithograph Monkeys and Insectivores 1912 by H Aschehoug Co, Norway
Located in Milan, IT
Zoological didactic plate n. 16 lithograph on cardboard made in 1912 depicting monkeys and insectivores. Dybdhals Zoologiske Plancher P.M.Bye & Co Oslo. Made by H Aschehoug & Co. Goo...
Category

1910s Norwegian Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Paper

French Modern Painted And Giltwood Sunburst Barometer
Located in Houston, TX
French Modern Painted and Giltwood Sunburst Barometer. This unusual French mid century modern star shaped barometer is executed in a beautiful shade of red with gilt wood accents. Th...
Category

1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Wood, Giltwood

Fassamano Tortoise Antique Eyeglasses French Manufacture XIX century
Located in Milan, IT
Double fassamano eyeglasses (from the French face-en-main), made with a double articulated eyewear, one with lenses and one without, mounted on the upper part, signed Lugene, made of...
Category

1860s French Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Bakelite

Substantial Antique Italian Bronze Mortar and Pestle
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Substantial antique Italian bronze mortar and pestle, finely cast with shell and floral band, complete with 12" x 1.5" D pestle. The base of t...
Category

18th Century Italian Baroque Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Bronze

19th Century, J. Florenz Wien Chrome Steel Austrian Balance, 11 Brass Weights
Located in Vigonza, Padua
19th century, chrome steel Austrian balance, by J. Florenz Wien, 11 brass weights, 5 kg. This precious antique table scale was from the famous Caffè Florian in Venice Caffè Florian is a historic café in the city of Venice, located under the arcades of the Procuratie Nuove in Piazza San Marco. It is the oldest Italian coffee and the oldest coffee in the world. It was inaugurated on December 29, 1720 by Floriano Francesconi with the name of Alla Venezia Trionfante, but immediately the Venetians simply said “andemo da Florian-let's go to Florian”, from the name of the owner in the Venetian dialect. Since then it has continued its daily coffee business uninterruptedly to the present day, becoming a favorite destination for Venetians, Italians and foreigners. Floriano Francesconi inspired the character of Ridolfo in Carlo Goldoni's coffee shop. Giacomo Casanova courted the ladies there and Carlo Goldoni entered as a boy. Famous people such as Gasparo Gozzi, Giuseppe Parini, Silvio Pellico, Lord Byron, Ugo...
Category

1850s Austrian Baroque Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Steel

Zoological Lithograph Water Predators 1912 Cardboard by H Aschehoug Co Norway
Located in Milan, IT
Zoological didactic plate n. 21 lithograph on cardboard made in 1912 depicting water predators. Dybdhals Zoologiske Plancher P.M.Bye & Co Oslo. Made by H Aschehoug & Co. Good conditi...
Category

1910s Norwegian Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Paper

Zoological Lithograph of Worm Organs 1925 Cardboard by H Aschehoug Co Norway
Located in Milan, IT
Zoological didactic plate n. 59 lithograph on cardboard made in 1925 depicting enlargements of worm organs. Dybdhals Zoologiske Plancher P.M.Bye & Co Oslo. Made by H Aschehoug & Co. ...
Category

1920s Norwegian Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Paper

19th Century Grey-Brown Italian Oversized Marble Mortar Pestle, Antique Décor
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Early 19th Century, a set of an oversized mortar made of hand crafted white marble with a wooden Oakwood pestle, in good condition. This fun set was on display in a pharmacy in Milan...
Category

Early 19th Century Italian Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Marble

Zoological Lithograph of Coelenterates 1912 Cardboard by H Aschehoug Co Norway
Located in Milan, IT
Zoological didactic plate n. 63 lithograph on cardboard made in 1912 depicting the family of coelenterates with jellyfish, coral and sea anemone. Dybdhals Zoologiske Plancher P.M.Bye...
Category

1910s Norwegian Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Paper

Sketch of two herons Korea 1970s Acrylic on paper for an Animals Encyclopedia
Located in Milan, IT
Acrylic colors on paper depicting two herons; it is a preparatory sketch commissioned for an animals encyclopedia for children, created and signed by a Kore...
Category

1970s Korean Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Paper

Sketch of two gibbons Korea 1970s Acrylic on Paper for an Animals Encyclopedia
Located in Milan, IT
Acrylic colors on paper depicting two gibbons; it is a preparatory sketch commissioned for an animals encyclopedia for children, created and signed by a Korean artist in the 1970s. V...
Category

1970s Korean Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Paper

Spanish Moorish Gothic Mortar 15th century
Located in DELFT, NL
Spanish - Moorish Gothic bronze mortar and with ribs, most likely from Andalusia. Of conical shape, resting on a circular base, the exterior decorated with a series of wing-shaped pr...
Category

15th Century and Earlier Spanish Gothic Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Bronze

Danish 19th Century Brass Surveying or Level Tool on Tripod
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Surveyors tripod level tool from the late 19th century. The tripod is made of wood and the level is brass. The wood tripod is 39.75in high.
Category

Mid-19th Century Danish Folk Art Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass

French Wooden Scale, Late 19th-Early 20th Century
Located in Atlanta, GA
Having a large weighing surface and a smaller side for weights.
Category

Early 20th Century French Scientific Instruments

Mid-Twentieth Century Aluminum Gyroscope Compass Scientific Tool
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Manually manipulated blue and silver anodized aluminum gyroscope composed of two gimbal rings, a central rotor, spine axle, frame and base (ca. late 1940s/early 1950s, USA). The rotor in this case is a cube representing azimuth - the angle between North, measured clockwise around the observer's horizon, and a celestial body (sun, moon). Hence, the presence of both "N" and "E" compass directions on the rotor. The gimbals denote "elevation" and "roll." Interesting piece which serves as both scientific tool and modernist decorative object...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Aluminum

19th Carpentry Molding Plane with Steel Blade
Located in San Francisco, CA
ABOUT Antique wooden carpentry plane with steel blade used to make trim and moldings. Stamped "E. Avery' on the side. Shown with life size hand mold for scale. CREATOR Unknown...
Category

19th Century Industrial Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Walnut

English Brass Leather Hand Held Telescope
Located in Queens, NY
English (19th Century) brass and leather hand held telescope
Category

19th Century British Victorian Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass

Antique Foldable Anatomical Wall Chart Depicting Human Musculature
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Antique Foldable Anatomical Wall Chart Depicting Human Musculature The rare 19th century anatomical wall chart depicts the human musculature and inter...
Category

Early 20th Century German Victorian Scientific Instruments

Materials

Wood, Paper

Sketch of a weasel Korea 1970s Acrylic on Paper for an Animals Encyclopedia
Located in Milan, IT
Acrylic colors on paper depicting a weasel attacked by a snake; it is a preparatory sketch commissioned for an animals encyclopedia for children, created and signed by a Korean artis...
Category

1970s Korean Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Paper

Set of French Apothecary Pasteur Water Filters in Cream Glaze, 19th Century
Located in Dallas, TX
This set of antique ceramic water filters was crafted in Provence, France, circa 1870. Originally designed as promotional display pieces for a French pharmacy, each vessel advertises...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Ceramic, Porcelain

French Brass and Leather Three Draw Telescope, Late 19th Century
Located in Barntrup, DE
Late 19th century French brass and leather 3 draw telescope spyglass. The spyglass is made from brass. The base is wrapped with leather. Comes with the...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass

Sketch of Four Macaques Korea 1970s Acrylic on Paper for an Animals Encyclopedia
Located in Milan, IT
Acrylic colors on paper depicting four macaques on a branch; it is a preparatory sketch commissioned for an animals encyclopedia for children, created and signed by a Korean artist i...
Category

1970s Korean Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Paper

19th Century Grand Tour Antique Handmade Bronze Mortar with Pestle
Located in Roma, IT
19th-century grand tour antique handmade bronze mortar with pestle. This fantastic piece has an original patina. The pestle is 9.05 inc high wit...
Category

Mid-19th Century European Grand Tour Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Bronze

Zoological Lithograph of Ungulates 1912 on Cardboard by H Aschehoug Co Norway
Located in Milan, IT
Zoological didactic plate n. 29 lithograph on cardboard made in 1912 depicting the digestive system of the ungulates; the plate depicts 4 different ty...
Category

1910s Norwegian Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Paper

Carved Wooden Antique French Barometer with Thermometer, Number 9432 1910s
Located in Verviers, BE
Carved wooden antique French barometer with thermometer Unusual antique carved wooden barometer in a lovely carved case, working order. Number 9432 ...
Category

1910s French Art Nouveau Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Fruitwood

Recording Copper Rain Gauge by Casella Co of London
Located in London, GB
An 8" diameter recording copper rain gauge by C F Casella & Co of London. With an internal 24 hour "Gluck" barometer recorder. Height:63 cm. Diameter: 28 ...
Category

Mid-20th Century English Scientific Instruments

Materials

Copper

Vintage Rolling Rule English Brass Scientific Instrument, Navigation, circa 1950
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is a vintage rolling rule. An English, brass scientific instrument to aid navigation, dating to the mid-20th century, circa 1950. Attractive period instrument Displays a desirable aged patina Solid brass shows mellow golden hues Used to draw parallel lines on navigation charts Replete with the Ministry of Defense arrow mark and 160100 patent number Oak faced box...
Category

Mid-20th Century English Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass

Early 20th century brass letter scales made in Czechoslovakia, circa 1910
Located in Central England, GB
This unusual set of postal letter scales has great eye appeal. They are made in brass with a complicated cantilevered balance movement. They are stamped for manufacture in Czechoslov...
Category

Early 20th Century Industrial Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass

Antique Apothecary Bottle Stand English Air Ministry Stamped, Early 20th Century
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique apothecary bottle stand. An English, Air Ministry stamped stand dating to the early 20th century, circa 1920. A rare su...
Category

Early 20th Century English Edwardian Scientific Instruments

Materials

Beech

Vintage Erskine Barber Shop Shaving Brush Tool
Located in Chula Vista, CA
Vintage ERSKINE 200 Sterilized Barber Shop SHAVING BRUSH Nylon Bristles Rubber Stamped Sterile 200 4.5 tall x 1.38 diameter Preowned original vintage...
Category

1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Nylon, Rubber

Sailing ship s pulley fiddle block
Located in London, GB
An early 19th century Naval oak and elm fiddle pulley block, with two wood sheaves. Marked with Roman Numerals: XXVIIII For a similar fiddle block see the collection of: Chatham...
Category

Mid-18th Century English Industrial Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Oak

Alnmått (Cubit measure) in Birch with a Noble Crown. Gustavian, dated 1783
Located in Knivsta, SE
Rare Alnmått (Cubit measure) made in Birch with a Noble Crown. From the Gustavian period of the late 1700s, roughly corresponding to the Louis XVI period in France, made in Sweden an...
Category

1780s Swedish Gustavian Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass

French 19th Century Freestanding Brass Tea Scale Mounted on Wooden Base
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French brass freestanding tea scale from the 19th century mounted on a wooden base. Born in France during the politically dynamic 19th century, this tea scale features a central sh...
Category

19th Century French Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass

Pair of American Country Antique Cast Metal Floral Design Rectangular Coin Banks
Located in Queens, NY
"Pair of Antique American (early 20th Century) cast bronze coin banks with rectangular forms with flared tops and bottoms, featuring floral designs with pink and green painted detail...
Category

Early 20th Century American American Colonial Scientific Instruments

Materials

Bronze

Antique Gilbert Barker Red Self Measuring Type 208 Vintage Curbside Gas Pump
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique Gilbert & Barker Red Self Measuring Type 208 Vintage Curbside Gas Pump. Item featured weighs approx 180 lbs, remarkable red color, original lab...
Category

Early 1900s Art Deco Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Metal

Vintage Telescope Tripod, English, Oak, Bronze, Support Stand, 20th Century
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is a vintage telescope tripod. An English, oak and bronze support Stand, dating to the mid-20th century, circa 1940. Displays a desirable aged...
Category

Mid-20th Century English Scientific Instruments

Materials

Bronze

19th Century Gold French Empire Hexagonal Giltwood Verre Églomisé Barometer
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A gold patinated, antique French hexagonal barometer made of handcrafted giltwood, in good condition. The top part of the Parisian décor piece is enhanced by flower carvings. The glass dial is particularized with Verre Églomisé. The thermometer represent the First French Empire time...
Category

19th Century French Empire Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Giltwood

Mahogany cased Barograph
Located in Cheshire, GB
Kelvin Bottomley mahogany-cased Barograph, having five bevelled glazed removable lid, and a drawer below to house the charts. The mechanical eight-day movement is housed in the drum,...
Category

Early 20th Century British Scientific Instruments

Materials

Wood

Mahogany cased Barograph
Mahogany cased Barograph
$2,144 Sale Price
20% Off
Microscope cloth counting glass by Casartelli
Located in London, GB
Microscope cloth counting glass by J. Casartelli & Son of Manchester. Circa 1910. In original black leather case with satin and velvet lining. Marked: J. CASARTELLI & SON SALFORD.6...
Category

Early 20th Century English Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass

Alnmått (Cubit measure) in iron with gilded details. Baroque, dated 1731
Located in Knivsta, SE
Swedish Alnmått (Cubit measure) in iron with gilded details. Baroque, dated 1731. Provenance: Baron Carl Emanuel Cederström, great collector during the mid-19th Century in Sweden. W...
Category

1730s Swedish Baroque Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Iron

19th century Danish carved walnut barometer
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
19th century Danish carved walnut barometer circa 1890. Beautifully carved from a solid piece of wood. Thermometer set in the top. Barometer with paper dial in danish. Some losses ...
Category

Late 19th Century Danish Victorian Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass

19th century Sikes scientific hydrometer set
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
19th century sikes hydrometer set circa 1890. Good quality presented in a mahogany box, with brass catches. Labelled on the cartouche ' sike's hydrometer' and a 56 stamford street ...
Category

Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass

19th Century thermometer in original case
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
19th century thermometer in original case circa 1890. Fine quality thermometer which measures between -45 degrees centigrade and +50. In fully working condition, complete in its ori...
Category

Late 19th Century Swedish Victorian Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Glass, Paper

19th c. Wooden Carpentry Moulding Plane c.1850-1920
Located in San Francisco, CA
ABOUT Antique wooden carpentry plane with iron blade used to make trim and moldings. Shown with life size hand mold for scale. CREATOR Unknown. DATE OF MANUFACTURE c.1850-...
Category

19th Century Industrial Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Iron

Antique 19th Century Human Anatomical Leg Model, By Bock Steger, Leipzig c.1890
By Bock Steger
Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Antique 19th Century life-sized plaster model of a human leg, attributed to Bock Steger, Leipzig. Made for medical instruction, it displays muscle, tendon, and bone in detail. Number...
Category

20th Century German Other Scientific Instruments

Materials

Plaster

French 18th Century Mortar and Pestle
Located in Round Top, TX
A sensational 18th century mortar and pestle in iron with its base constructed from a solid block of walnut. A stunning sculpture for any tradition...
Category

Mid-18th Century French Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Iron

Antique Apothecary Mortar and Pestle, English, Bronze, Beech, Chemist, Victorian
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique apothecary mortar and pestle. An English, bronze and beech chemist's aid, dating to the Victorian period and later, ci...
Category

Late 19th Century British Victorian Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Bronze

Wall-Mounted Large Weather Station in Art Nouveau Style Carved Walnut Belgium
Located in Verviers, BE
Wall-mounted weather station in carved walnut made in Spa Belgium by Valentine Engel High quality mechanism with Jeweled movement barometer and thermometer (in centigrade) Unusual de...
Category

1910s Belgian Art Nouveau Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Walnut

1911, The Lady Claire Dress Form, Very Rare
Located in Peekskill, NY
I've had an example of this dress form in my personal collection. It's an amazing piece of engineering and one of my favorite items... something I decided to never sell it. The Lady Claire...
Category

Early 20th Century American Industrial Scientific Instruments

Materials

Iron

Italian Midcentury Anatomical Educational Torso
Located in Weesp, NL
Educational midcentury Italian anatomical torso produced in the 1940s by Produzione Scientifica Paravia known for its accurate anatomy models. Measures: H. 67 x W. 34 x D. 26 cm. ...
Category

1940s Italian Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Composition

Antique Mahogany Buck Saw c.1910-1930
Located in San Francisco, CA
ABOUT A Mahogany buck saw with steel tension rod and blade. CREATOR Unknown. DATE OF MANUFACTURE c.1910-1930. MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES Steel, Mahogany. CONDITION ...
Category

Early 20th Century Rustic Scientific Instruments

Materials

Steel

Optical Magnifying Glass with Stand
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
This 19th-century optical magnifying glass is a true testament to the scientific and artisanal craftsmanship of its time. Crafted from high-precision glass, it originally adorned opt...
Category

2010s French Modern Scientific Instruments

Materials

Glass

20th Century English Theodolite by W.F. Stanley London in Original Wooden Box
By W. F. Stanley
Located in Sofia, BG
20th century English surveyor's theodolite or transit instrument of brass by W.F. Stanley (Optical, Philosophical & Mathematical Instrument Manufacturer, London), circa 1930, in orig...
Category

Early 20th Century English Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass

English Late 19th Century Large Brass Table Scale and Weights
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A stunning, large brass table scale, made near the turn of the 20th century, England. The scale is no longer operational, but still makes an mighty impact on a space like a kitchen c...
Category

Late 19th Century English Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Marble, Brass, Copper, Iron

A pharmacy mushroom model: Boletus Chrysenteron, Italy 1950.
Located in Milan, IT
A pharmacy model of a specimen of Boletus Chrysenteron mushroom, made in painted plaster, on a green oval-shaped plaster base with moss and hay. Italy circa 1950.
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Scientific Instruments

Materials

Plaster

Antique Brass Ashtray Advertising a Philadelphia Dealer in Artificial Human Eyes
Located in Philadelphia, PA
An odd obscura collectible in the form of a rare, antique brass advertising ashtray. The ashtray is engraved with "H.E. Baldwin - Philadelphia / A...
Category

19th Century American Antique Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass

1964 Ray Simpson Original Teakwood Tool Rake Grate
Located in Chula Vista, CA
1960s Vintage Rake Tool Brush in Teakwood Modern Aluminum Grate Stamped Ray Simpson Original 1964 22.13 long x 3.88 w x 1.25 Preowned original vintage co...
Category

1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Aluminum

German Medical or Tanning Lamp, Wood and Bakelite, 1940s
Located in Roma, IT
German medical or tanning lamp. Transport handle and external thermometer. Three settings of the lamps. Eight porcelain lamp holders and four light bulbs. Current 220 volt Woo...
Category

1940s German Art Deco Vintage Scientific Instruments

Materials

Porcelain, Bakelite, Wood

Set of Vintage Draughtsman s Rules, English, Engineer s Instruments, circa 1930
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is a set of vintage draughtsman's rules. An English, beech engineer's instrument set in a mahogany case, dating to the mid 20th century period, circa 1930. Useful set of measuring...
Category

Early 20th Century British Edwardian Scientific Instruments

Materials

Beech

Walnut, Large Wooden Screw of a Wine Press, a Wooden Sculpture, Italy 1900s
Located in Roma, IT
Large wooden screw of a wine press, Italy, 1900s. A walnut sculpture. Really nice.
Category

20th Century Italian Grand Tour Scientific Instruments

Materials

Wood, Walnut

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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