Cabinet of Curiosities
$150.00
In the 16th and 17th centuries, aristocratic collectors created the wunderkammer (cabinet of curiosities), gathering objects spanning architecture, interior design, painting, sculpture, gemology, geology, botany, biology and taxonomy, astrology, alchemy, anthropology, ethnography, and history. Including curiosities such as unicorn horns (narwhal tusks), gems, rare coral growths, Murano glasswork, paintings and peculiar mechanical automata, it was an ambitious attempt to encompass all of humankind’s knowledge in a single space. Over several decades, photographer Massimo Listri traveled to seven European countries to photograph each of the 19 extraordinary collections highlighted in this volume. Some of the most beautiful collections in the world, they are a feast for the eyes and offer a fascinating cultural history.