Conceived and curated by Thierry W. Despont, Le Cabinet de Curiosites was a unique installation in which contemporary art converged with antiques to create a setting both old-world and otherworldly. An immersive environment of antiquities interspersed with Manolo Valdes s trompe l oeil sculptures and Claudio Bravo s hyperrealist paintings, plus Despont s Nebula paintings of imaginary celestial orbs and his fantastical sculptural creatures assembled from found objects and tools, all combined to create a multisensory experience evoking a sense of wonder and fantasy."

This handsome gift volume celebrates a world-famous temple to taxidermy and the natural world, where extraordinary curiosities highlight the intersection of science and art. With an abundance of preserved flora and fauna, taxidermy, and otherworldly creations, the Deyrolle boutique is dedicated to showcasing the beauty of nature. A family venture founded in the spirit of discovery, Deyrolle has a 185-year history that is a Pandora’s box of scientific and aesthetic discoveries. Deyrolle flourished under the nineteenth-century passion for natural history, garnering celebrity devotees from Dalí to Nabokov, and quickly established itself as a center for education and research. A vocal advocate of sustainability and responsible business practices in the fields of taxidermy and entomology, Deyrolle works only with creatures that have expired from natural causes. Raising awareness for causes such as World Rhino Day, Deyrolle combines science and art, lightheartedness and engagement. This book provides fascinating insight into the history and day-to-day workings of this unique Parisian institution.

In one of NPR's 100 Best Thrillers Ever, FBI agent Pendergast discovers thirty-six murdered bodies in a New York City charnel house . . . and now, more than a century later, a killer strikes again. In an ancient tunnel underneath New York City a charnel house is discovered. Inside are thirty-six bodies--all murdered and mutilated more than a century ago. While FBI agent Pendergast investigates the old crimes, identical killings start to terrorize the city. The nightmare has begun. Again.

"Maurie`s' tour of strange objects is entertaining and fascinating." --Antiques And The Arts Weekly

This book is a curiosity cabinet, meaning that it contains photos of many objects I have gathered from around the world along the years. They are disparate, quirky, kitsch, or simply of sentimental value, some being luxurious, but all having a story to tell and a place to remember. The book will speak to many people, who can identify with at least a number of these artefacts.

This is an in-depth study of the intellectual, technical, and artistic encounters between Europe and China in the late eighteenth century, focusing on the purposeful acquisition of information and images that characterized a direct engagement with the idea of "China." The central figure in this story is Henri-Léonard Bertin (1720–1792), who served as a minister of state under Louis XV and, briefly, Louis XVI. Both his official position and personal passion for all things Chinese placed him at the center of intersecting networks of like-minded individuals who shared his ideal vision of China as a nation from which France had much to learn. John Finlay examines a fascinating episode in the rich history of cross-cultural exchange between China and Europe in the early modern period, and this book will be an important and timely contribution to a very current discussion about Sino-French cultural relations. This book will be of interest to scholars in art history, visual culture, European and Chinese history.

Exotic plants, corals and crocodiles, birds and butterflies. Albertus Seba's extraordinary catalog of natural specimens is not only one of the 18th century's greatest natural history achievements, but also one of the most prized natural history books of all time. It is a beautiful tribute to the breadth and the detail of creatures great and...