Home | The Curious Cabinet

Collection: Butterfly

Posted on May 14, 2015 by emmalena15

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This is one of the first butterflies we ever added to our collection (it’s technically M’s). We went to the World of Wings exhibit in New Jersey in February of 2014. There were some reptiles on display, but the main attraction was their butterfly exhibit, where every hour they would release the butterflies all around you in a special climate controlled room just for them.

Honestly I’m a little scared of butterflies because I don’t like bugs that can fly but this was a cool experience and I like how beautiful they are (as long as they’re dead).

We unfortunately don’t know what species of butterfly this one is, but it has beautiful black, white, orange, and yellow markings. We highly recommend the World of Wings exhibit if you’re ever in the area!

Butterfly
A butterfly displayed in glass with a wooden frame.
Size: butterfly 3″ wide x 1 1/2″ tall; frame 4 1/2″ wide x 4″ tall x 2″ deep
From: World of Wings Museum
Price: $20-$50

Wishlist: Jackalope

Posted on May 13, 2015 by emmalena15

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A jackalope is a well-known taxidermy gaff (a fake specimen). One is made by attaching any kind of antlers to a regular taxidermied rabbit. They are usually displayed as a head mount on a wall, but sometimes you can find a full-bodied one.

This is one of only a couple of gaffs that we’re interested in procuring. We like real animals better, but as this one is so infamous we would like to add one to our collection.

Collection: 3D Printed Skull

Posted on May 1, 2015 by emmalena15

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M gave me this 3D printed skull with the glass dome to protect it. It’s so intricate and beautiful, and definitely one of the more artistic items we have in our collection.

The skull and dome are from one of our favorites, Evolution.

3D Printed Skull
A plastic, ornate model skull in a glass dome with a wooden base.
Size: skull 3″ long x 2 1/2″ wide x 2 3/4″ tall, dome 5 1/2″ wide x 6″ tall
From: Joshua Harker- Etsy
Price: skull $50-$100, dome $20-50

Wishlist: Blood Letting

Posted on April 23, 2015 by emmalena15

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Bloodletting was the most common medical practice for centuries. It involved cutting the skin to let blood flow from the body, and it was used for a wide variety of ailments, from acne to epilepsy to smallpox. It was based on the idea that there were four humours of the body: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. Diseases were thought to be the by-product of having an imbalance of humours, most commonly blood, because it was thought to be the most dominant of the four. Bloodletting was therefore used to try to balance the humours and heal patients.

There were multiple ways to drain blood, such as using simple blades, leeches, or a scarificator. A scarificator was a spring-loaded mechanism that would be held against the skin and would snap the blades out and back in. The picture above of a metal box is a scarificator. The metal tube with spikes is an artifical leech, which would puncture the skin.

Collection: Baby quail

Posted on April 14, 2015 by emmalena15

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Quail is a collective name for many species of mid-sized birds in the order Galliformes. There are Old World quails and New World quails, which are two different families (Phasianidae and Odontophoridae, respectively). They are kept as pets, hunted for food, or used for their eggs.

We unfortunately do not know what species of quail we have, but it is cute!

Baby quail
A common kind of bird preserved in a glass jar.
Size: 1.5″ diameter x 3.25″ tall
From: Black Bear Bath Salts – Etsy
Price: $10-$20

Collection: Japanese Paper Daruma

Posted on April 6, 2015 by emmalena15

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A Daruma doll (sometimes called a Dharma doll) is a round and hollow paper-mache doll modeled after the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism, Bodhidharma. It is considered a kind of good luck charm to the Japanese; they also symbol perseverance. Their typical color is red with white, blank eyes. When you receive a Daruma, you are supposed to fill in one eye when you set a goal for yourself, then the other eye when you have fulfilled it. Looking at the one-eyed Daruma is supposed to remind you of your goal and convince you to keep working towards it.

Daruma dolls are traditionally used for a year, then are brought back right after New Year’s Day to the temple they were purchased from for a ritual burning, called the Daruma Kuyo. Then a new one is purchased for the next year.

Japanese Paper Daruma
A traditional paper-mache doll used to set and reach goals.
Size: 5″ wide x 5″ deep x 6″ tall
From: Mitsuwa Marketplace
Price: $20-$50

Collection: Chalcosoma Caucasus (Giant Scarab Beetle)

Posted on April 1, 2015 by emmalena15

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Chalcosoma caucasus is also commonly referred to as a giant scarab beetle or atlas beetle. The atlas beetle is actually Chalcosoma atlas but they are both in the family Scarabaeidae. The caucasus beetle is one of the biggest insects in the world, with the males often measuring over 4 inches long. The males are the only ones with horns, which are used to fight other males over the females of the species.

Personally I don’t like bugs but it’s a great addition to our collection anyway!

Caucasus beetle
One of the largest insects in the world, found in Asia
Size: 4″ long x 1.5″ wide x 1″ tall
From etsy
Price: $10-$20