Cabinet of Curiosities
Cabinets of curiosities are also known as Kunstkabinett or Kunstkammer. Wunderkammer, Cabinets of Wonder, and wonder-rooms were encyclopedic collections of objects whose categorical boundaries were, in Renaissance Europe, yet to be defined. Modern terminology would categorize the objects included as belonging to natural history (sometimes faked), geology, ethnography, archaeology, religious or historical relics, works of art (including cabinet paintings), and antiquities. "The Kunstkammer was regarded as a microcosm or theater of the world, and a memory theater.” (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Wunderkammern or cabinets of curiosities, arose in mid-sixteenth-century Europe as repositories for all manner of wondrous and exotic objects. In essence these collections—combining specimens, diagrams, and illustrations from many disciplines; marking the intersection of science and superstition; and drawing on natural, manmade, and artificial worlds—can be seen as the precursors to museums. (www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/272)
We, Marcelle&Jane, love cabinets of wonder. It's an endless source of inspiration and instantly gives a space a kind of magical touch, a spirit.
This special touch can be added in a private space as well as in a public space. See one of our projects that was inspired by this concept.
Each cabinet is a trustful reflection of its owners dreams and interests, a way of saying: "here is how I see the world."
Of course, very few of us can afford masterpieces but all of us can be inspired by them.
So what do we need to create our own cabinet of curiosities?
First of all: curiosity! Being curious of what surrounds us and looking for beauty and emotion in everything. The main idea being "making a whole of nothing".
What can be called ‘nothing’: a plant, a dried flower, a plate, a toy, a letter or the cover of a book, and why not a wine bottle cap, a tin, a cereal box, seeds, stones or whatever you find pleasant to your eye or to your heart.
Now that we have collected our wonders, what can we do with them? Let's remember we will make a whole from them, that is to say, we will let them make their show!
We will frame them, put them on a plinth and/or under cloches and we will accumulate them in a single area. You can add handwritten notes near each item to add the museum effect.
This area can be a shelf, a wall, a cabinet, even a box fixed on a wall. I would advise to make it dark and pay attention to the light for an optimal dramatic effect, giving your collection a very rich look.
We would love to see photos of your own Cabinets of curiosities!!
