Cabinets of Curiosities

Nicely illustrated and well written. Loaded with many presentations of collections from interesting to odd but all are wonderful! I highly recommend this book!

An awesome addition to the coffee table of anyone who is a fan of art, collectibles, and odd science. This book has a little of everything.

Excellent. Great photos. Really supports my enthusiasm of the subject!!

Patrick Mauries' "Cabinets of Curiosities" is a study of rooms of wonder. Built during the Baroque Age in Europe, these rooms--sometimes large chambers and in other cases simply elaborate cabinets--held the natural and mechanical treasures that wealthy collectors assembled, often in an attempt to structure for themselves an entire universe. Consistent with the sumptuous nature of these collections and the complex manner in which they were displayed, "Cabinets of Curiosities" is distinguished above all by its color photography, its complex design scheme, and a use of cropping and perspective that give the reader a sense of personally entering the collection spaces shown. Because of its size, focus on photography, and price, "Cabinets of Curiosities" could easily be dismissed as a coffee-table book for the few. However, its appeal should be broader. The instinct to collect and to categorize-- even if it involves only seashells found on the beach, leaves fallen in a forest, or unusual stones found around the home-- is universal. Transcending time and space, collecting and categorizing are fundamental in particular to the sense of wonder and process of learning that define childhood. "Cabinets of Curiosities" can help us to see anew and celebrate anew the complexities and fascination of the animate and inanimate worlds about us. In these circumstances, it is particularly disappointing that the text is so lightweight in comparison to the photographs and that the confusing movement among typefaces makes it difficult to track the text. Mauries is to be congratulated for his bold thinking in fashioning this book and making it so beautiful. If he had devoted an equal amount of effort to researching, explaining, and documenting his subject matter, "Cabinets of Curiosities" would have risen to the ranks of a publishing classic.

The traditional odd objects and shapes of a curiousity shop are here in abundance.

Excellent book. Highly recommending.

Beautiful and Curious. Get It.

Not really what i was looking for, the cover is deceiving. It has nice photos but not exactly what i wanted from the book. I was hopinng for mor detailed descriptions of collections, not the history of peoples collections.

The book looks like new and i got the book on time. Thanks!

I love this book. Inspiration for creatives with a slightly morbid curiosity.

The pictures in this book are beautiful, the book is also quite informative. Definitely a conversation maker on your coffee table.

Per lungo tempo sono stato attratto da queste forme di collezionismo, antesignane del museo moderno ma composte, dal Rinascimento fin quasi ai nostri giorni, con i criteri più diversi, in cui tuttavia sono sempre rintracciabili delle linee guida o dei metodi di raccolta. Quello che è certo è che il risultato non solo è ancor oggi intrigante, ma crea nello spettatore quel misto di sorpresa e di ambiguità (perfino di angoscia, talvolta) che il museo contemporaneo non è capace di offrire. Questo libro ne è la trattazione o l'introduzione migliore, ottimo sia nella fotografia che nel testo (qualche tempo fa ne veniva edita una versione di formato ancora più grande, ma questa ha un prezzo più che opportuno). Assolutamente da consigliare.

Cabinets of Curiosities es un estudio bien documentado de varias colecciones; los motivos por lo que fueron creados y los significados que hay detrás de estos gabinetes. Lo que llama la atención es la bella selección de imágenes que hace de este libro un placer observar y releer sus paginas.