From Curiosity to Collection: The Origins of Cabinets of Curiosity

By Hannah Preston, Registration Collections Assistant, National Museum of Ireland

Cabinets of curiosities seem to have always been around. Whether these are ancient temples displaying deity statues, church relics on altars or alcoves, medieval wonder rooms or the children that pose their shells on the mantlepiece. There has always been a need to show off our acquisitions.

A Curious History

With the increase of global expansion in the 15^th century, evidence of one’s travels became a form of status. The unorganised collections of curiosities were a personal statement, in private ownership, and only accessible to a select few. The ‘cabinets’ could be actual cabinets, plinths, a room, or even a series of rooms to display collections. They were loosely categorised into four main groups: Naturalia, Artificialia, Scientifica, and Exotica. Naturalia collections held shells, minerals, botanica, and taxidermy. These became the foundation of natural history museums today. Artificialia were anything made by humans. They held art, tools, furniture, and cultural items. Scientifica were scientific instruments, such as tools for star gazing or autopsy. And exotica were items that were unidentifiable, believed to be something else (like a narwhal tusk as a unicorn horn), or from foreign lands.

In the 18^th century, large private collections were sometimes gathered to form institutions or private museums. Eventually, these cabinet of curiosity collections became tools of learning that spurred on The Enlightenment Movement. This shifted these private collections into the wider public sphere. The pursuit of knowledge became accessible for all levels of society. It is during this time that curiosity cabinet museums became established. The Natural History Museum of the National Museum of Ireland is one such museum. It has become well known as a time capsule.

Modern Methods

Over time, these cabinet curiosity institutions were modernised. The acquisition of objects, and the development of collections, evolved. Curators of the 20^th century were no longer collecting for display, but for crucial scientific data, discovery, research resources, and reference collections. In modern day museums, curators have well considered policies governing what they acquire and accession.

The technological advancements of the 20^th and 21^st centuries changed static cabinets of curiosities into more interactive exhibitions. However, the allure of the ‘museum within a museum’ still draws the attention of the public to this day.

More Information

If you wish to read more about the National Museum of Ireland and its transition from private collections to the country’s National Museum, please check out these articles: History of the Organisation | National Museum of Ireland and History & Architecture | Natural History | National Museum of Ireland.