A Wunderkammer (or Cabinet of Curiosities, or Chamber of Wonders) is, as per Wiki, an “encyclopedic collection of types of objects whose categorical boundaries were, in Renaissance Europe, yet to be defined.” It’s basically a room filled with exotic things – statues, skeletons of unusual creatures, insect collections, paintings, etc – pretty much everything.
The Walters Museum
The Walters actually has a Chamber of Wonders. The informational sign there informed me that the objects in the room were meant to cause wonder and curiosity, which would then incite the viewer to seek more knowledge. Above the door to the room (right under the moose head) was the inscription, “to virtue, add knowledge.”
I’ve been wanting to make something more … 3D/interactive, especially after watching all these Brothers Quay videos (especially Street of Crocodiles) and seeing the tiny worlds they create. I remembered seeing this book structure somewhere (after some digging through my bookcase, it turns out I had seen it in Unique Handmade Books by Alisa Golden) and wanted to try it.
I will probably continue to add to this – just like a real wunderkammer! – but I like how it came out. Also, I keep repeating the word “wunderkammer” to myself in the most ridiculous German accent I can manage. Hopefully my neighbors can’t hear me.
I couldn’t get any decent photos of this. Tomorrow I’m going to try and make my own light tent, assuming I can steal a box from work… 
(they’re going to throw them away anyway!)
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