FEATURES ARCHIVE

“For in my opinion, the most ordinary things, the most common and familiar, if we could see them in their true light, would turn out to be the grandest miracles of nature and the most marvelous examples, especially as regards the subject of the action of men.”
- Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592)

The phenomenon of the wunderkammer, or “cabinet of curiosities”, dates back to the European nobility in the 16th century, who sought not only a practical storage solution for their collections, but also a status symbol that reflected their connoisseurship. Hence, the wunderkammer was born.

Collector’s cabinets like this Spanish tortoiseshell example were a place to house the commemorative curiosities of wealthy and worldly individuals. A decorative exterior gives way to drawers, cupboards, and even secret compartments that could house objects ranging from the natural to the manmade: jewelry, shells, coins, animal horns, silver and religious relics were just a few of the objects that could be contained within. Some were found on the collector’s travels while others reflected their owner’s unique collecting interests. In short, wunderkammer can be viewed as a microcosm for the collector’s life experiences, from the exploration of faraway lands to the academic discovery while collecting in a particular discipline.

By definition, the collector’s cabinet is an inherently personal creation, used to organize and house memories that unlock past discoveries. They shed light on the nature of art as a private experience, a universally timeless theme that carries weight within a modern framework. Today’s collector would surely delight in this and other outstanding painted and gilded examples included in our April auction of European Furniture - to organize jewelry, watches, or their own private mementos that have the power to distinguish, to transport and to inspire.