Cabinets of Wonder Hardcover – October 1, 2012

It is hard to know where to start with this book - it is filled with every mystery and treasure you can imagine. This book describes Cabinets of Wonder, and this book is a wonder itself. You can truly be transported whether reading about historical or modern wunderkammers, or just flipping through the pages to admire the magical collections within.This book begins by examining the historic origins of the collections that comprise a wonder cabinet as we know it today. As documented, the collections are dictated by the collecting whims of the assembler and may contain anything the collector found fascinating, curious, exotic or desirable. A collection may include natural objects, artwork, souvenirs, scientific instruments, ornaments, specimens, memento mori, musical instruments, medical oddities - any object that inspires curiosity.This book documents historical collectors and their collections, and some of their motivations for assembling objects into a collection. They are motivated by a desire to understand the world around them, but also by fame, social status and obsession. These people are royalty, scholars, artists, scientists and eccentrics. Their collections and the labor it took to construct them make for fascinating reading. The book also explains how the curiosity cabinets evolved into museums as we know them today .This book also does a thorough job of reporting on modern day wonder cabinets and their place in contemporary art. I have purchased a few books about wonder cabinets recently hoping that they would include modern examples, but this is the only book to do so, and I was delighted by what was included.Although I enjoyed the text of this book tremendously, it is the wonderful photography and illustrations that that makes this book so satisfying. On every page you are treated to compositions of visually inspiring objects. There are skulls, bones, marble statues, taxidermy, artwork, furniture, reliquaries, globes, hides, eggs, shells, insects, diagrams, specimens, artifacts, monsters, treasures, composite creatures, grottoes, and monsters - every marvel you could hope to see in a curiosity cabinet. You can spend many hours getting lost in this fascinating book.

I paid more because the book was listed as "New". It is not new. The book and the pages are in Good condition but not new. I could have misinterpreted their intent but to me new means new and not "like new".Great book though! Photos and info in book is so cool!

Wonderful contextualization of the tradition and history of Wonder Cabinets, and their relationship to our concept of museums. The work overall seemed somewhat rambling and, in my opinion, could have used a bit better organization (especially in putting the illustrations near what the author is talking about), but it is still well worth the read and the journey on which it takes you. Whether you are just looking for an interesting, copiously illustrated coffee-table book, or are serious about the history of our musing collections I highly recommend this book. I do wish it had finished a bit stronger with how the wonder cabinet tradition is continuing in modern art - it did mention this, but in an offhand way that was more comment than commentary.And a note about the binding and covering - it is more fragile than other books, so take care with rough handling (some kind of paper that easily scratches, tears, scuffs, etc.).

I did not rate it a 5 because it is an indepth study of real 'cabinets of wonder' and their place in history. I was looking for modern application in design. The cover is beautiful and embossed without a book jacket. The pictures are great but sometime macabre and definitely have either a scientific or artistic slant, not decorative. The author knows the subject well. Collectors of rare artifacts and specimens will love this book

If you're looking for a coffee table book with more pictures than words - this isn't the book for you. This book is surprisingly detailed. But if you're a fan of the macabre and the eccentric - this is a great book to add to your collection!

Bought this for my father and he liked it. He likes macabre collections and antiquities. This nicely bound book has all the pictures of butterflies,skulls,shells and art from all sorts of sources. This book is beautiful and morose depends on your taste.

The book is actually bigger than i thought it would be! It came with A4 size and hard-binded red cover, very beautifully printed. At first, I was thinking about check it out and return it if i don’t like but i instead added it to my collection! Apart from photos of oddities, it also explains history of this tradition and types of objects collected. Highly recommended!

If you like looking at peoples collections of things and cabinets they are kept in, then this is the book for you. I wasn't sure I would like it but, took a chance on it and thoroughly enjoyed the many pictures and text.

Great book. The pictures are beautiful and cover eccentric subjects. I wanted to read a book about this subject as I am interested in what people find to collect and I have a weak spot for storage. This book did not disappoint.

a brilliant and beautiful book on a fascinating subject

Beautifully produced. Interesting and comprehensive.

Super book

I am an ethusiast of Wunderkammers so this book is my cup of tea. Beautifull photography and interesting articles.I also love the graphic design.