Kunstkammer

A Kunstkammer, or “cabinet of curiosities,” was a collection assembled by European royalty and scholars from the late Renaissance to the early modern period. It featured a diverse array of objects—artworks, natural specimens, rare artifacts, and scientific instruments—intended to showcase human knowledge, craftsmanship, and the wonders of the natural world. These collections served as a means of exploration, education, and status, reflecting a desire to understand and categorize the universe. They laid the groundwork for modern museums by bringing together different disciplines and fostering curiosity and discovery.