The Wunderkammer, or "cabinet of curiosities," saw collectors
gathering objects from many strands of artistic, scientific, and
intellectual endeavor, in an ambitious attempt to encompass all of
humankind's knowledge in a single room. From the Grand Duke
Francesco I de' Medici and Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II to Archduke
Ferdinand II of Habsburg, these aristocratic virtuosos acquired,
selected, and displayed the objects in real-life catalogues that
represented the entire world-spanning architecture, interior
design, painting, sculpture, gemology, geology, botany, biology and
taxonomy, astrology, alchemy, anthropology, ethnography, and
history. Marvel at the unicorn horns (narwhal tusks), gems, rare
coral growths, Murano glasswork, paintings and peculiar mechanical
automata. Browse through illustrations of exotic and mythical
creatures and discover the famed "Coburg ivories," an astounding
collection of crafted artifacts. These collections are nothing
short of a journey through time, from the Renaissance and Age of
Discovery, the Mannerist and Baroque periods, up to the present
day. Although many of these cabinets of curiosities no longer
exist, others have been meticulously reconstructed, and new ones
born. These marvelous cabinets of curiosities can now be explored
by all in this collection. To realize this mammoth undertaking,
Massimo Listri traveled to seven European countries over several
decades; the result is a set of gorgeous photographs, an
authoritative yet accessible introduction, and detailed commentary
on each of the 19 chambers highlighting the most remarkable items
in each collection. Discover how these timeless treasures both
describe and defined civilization, the modern concept of the
museum, and our very knowledge of the universe. About the series
TASCHEN is 40! Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists
in 1980, TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible publishing,
helping bookworms around the world curate their own library of art,
anthropology, and aphrodisia at an unbeatable price. Today we
celebrate 40 years of incredible books by staying true to our
company credo. The 40 series presents new editions of some of the
stars of our program-now more compact, friendly in price, and still
realized with the same commitment to impeccable production.
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