Cabinets of curiosities: a timeless passion blending science, art, and imagination

Cabinets of curiosities , also known as "wonder rooms" or wunderkammer , have fascinated collectors, antique dealers, and enthusiasts of unusual objects for over five centuries. Originating in the Renaissance, these early private museums brought together rare scientific, ethnographic, natural, or artistic objects—in a desire to embrace the unknown, classify the world, and nourish the human spirit through the contemplation of the extraordinary.

The origins of the cabinet of curiosities

From the ^16th century onwards, aristocrats, scholars or adventurers in the Western world began to collect strange, exotic or scientific objects brought back from their travels or discovered locally: fossils, corals, optical instruments, antique medals, automata, taxidermy, seashells, illuminated manuscripts, mummies, religious objects or even natural anomalies.

Each object had its own story , its own evocative power, sometimes magical or mysterious. These private collections, carefully arranged in display cases or on shelves, reflected the collector's worldview and testified to his erudition, taste, and intellectual curiosity.

A renewed enthusiasm in contemporary decoration

For the past few years, the cabinet of curiosities has made a comeback in interior design trends . Collectors, artists, and antique dealers are rediscovering this way of assembling unique pieces around a personal, often poetic, sometimes unsettling universe. It's an invitation to create a space for visual storytelling at home, a veritable theater of objects.

Collectors are now looking for genuine period pieces or objects with a similar aesthetic: decorative skulls and memento mori , antique medical instruments, scientific samples, 19th- ^century photographs, taxidermy, pharmacy vials, religious or esoteric art , exotic feathers, fossils, and rare ethnographic objects.

Possible themes for a cabinet of curiosities

Each firm may follow a different collection logic, both aesthetic and intellectual. Here are some common themes:

• Natural history objects: herbariums, seashells, minerals, embryos in jars...
• Medicine & science: surgical instruments , apothecary bottles...
• Mystical & religious objects: reliquaries, rosaries, ex-votos, grimoires...
• Strangeness & anthropology: tribal objects, fetishes, objects from Africa or Asia...
• Occult sciences & esotericism: ancient tarot cards , alchemical instruments, funerary art...

A mirror of your imagination

The magic of a modern cabinet of curiosities lies in its ability to reflect the personality and creativity of its creator. No two cabinets are alike. Each collection tells a unique story—somewhere between science and fiction, knowledge and fantasy. In this sense, it becomes a work of art in its own right, a self-portrait composed of objects.

On our online antique shop , we offer a selection of antique, rare, or unusual objects to add to your own cabinet of curiosities. You'll find antique apothecary boxes , ancient manuscripts steeped in history , antique religious objects , ethnographic sculptures , and numerous 19th- ^century scientific instruments . Each piece is carefully chosen for its narrative and decorative potential .

Why create a cabinet of curiosities at home?

Creating a cabinet of curiosities at home invites discovery and dialogue. Each object tells a story, sparks wonder, and fuels conversation. It's also a unique way to express intellectual curiosity by collecting pieces chosen according to one's passions.

A personal and vibrant space:

• To showcase your imagination through rare objects.
• To cultivate the art of collecting and observation.
• To give meaning to your interior decoration and make it unique.
• To pass on a passion for history, nature, science or sacred art .

A cabinet of curiosities is much more than a display case: it is a miniature world, an inner journey, a tribute to the beauty of the singular.

Explore our curiosities

To start or expand your cabinet of curiosities, discover our selection of mystical curiosities , or browse our collection of antique scientific objects . Each piece is an invitation to dream, learn, and share.