This book is an account of the cabinet of curiosities; personal museum exhibition cases with a selection of artful, exotic or simply curious objects displayed therein. The precursors of these cabinets of curiosities lies in the relic collections of mediaeval churches - collections which when first invented contained relics with an association to Christ and his disciples and as the idea spread so the objects therein became more and more bizarre - a vial of the Virgin's milk for example. All of these relics possessed a sanctity and were imbued with an idea of power. The cabinets that were held in private possession could include objects of natural wonder, be they seashells, stone samples or specimens preserved in glass vials but could also include items of great craftsmanship and the cabinets themselves were often made by the most skilled makers from the finest materials. Patrick Mauriès traces the history of the cabinet of curiosities through the centuries to the present day. Hardback.