CABINET OF CURIOSITIES

 

Domenico Remps, Cabinet of Curiosities, 1690, Museo dell’Opificio delle Pietre Dure, Florence, Italy.

During the 16th and 17th Centuries, amongst the educated and wealthy in Europe beginning in Italy, owning a Cabinet of Curiosities was all the rage. One of the most well-known was that of John Tradescant the Elder, prominent garden designer, traveler and collector whose collection later became part of the Ashmolean in Oxford which, in 1683 opened as the first purpose built public museum in the UK. This concept became the precursor for the great museums and collections later to arise in Western countries.

The size of the Cabinet could range from a single piece like the one pictured above to an entire room. The four categories of Curiosities: 

Naturalia – products from nature and various rare creatures with a particular interest in monsters (like a two-headed dog). 

Artificialia – artificial objects created or modified by humans, antiques, works of art. 

Exotica – exotic objects, plants or animals collected from distant places. 

Scientifica – the testaments of man’s ability to dominate nature such as astrolabes, clocks, automatons, and scientific instruments.