What Is a Curio?
Curio cabinets enhance your home décor, and protect and showcase your fine art and collectibles. Made from glass, hardwoods, metal and glass mirrors, curio cabinets may be designed to fit into any size or style of room. Hang your curio on the wall or stand it in a corner to display your favorite valuables. Does this Spark an idea?
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Definition
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A curio is a small object that is different, curious or rare. The term 'curio' is also used to describe cabinets designed to showcase and display collectibles, china or other decorative items. Curios can be large pieces of furniture or small and decorative accessory cabinets.
History
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Display cabinets for art and rare objects date back to the 16th century when the Flemish built display cabinets with hidden doors and drawers. Similar cabinets were a favorite among the Dutch in the 17th century. The terms curio and curio cabinet became synonymous in the 18th century when small cabinets began to be made specifically to showcase curio.
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Design
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Curios are made primarily of glass held together with strips of wood. Some curios are freestanding and fit in a corner or span or hang on a wall, while smaller curios may be placed on table tops. Most curio cabinet shelving is made from glass, but some curios may have wooden shelves. Side doors made of glass open so that the collection may be easily placed inside the curio cabinet.
Types
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There are several different types or styles of curio cabinets. Traditional curios are made from highly polished and sometimes carved wood, while modern curios may be made from metal with enclosed sides. Corner curio cabinets are shaped like a triangle and built with two sides of wood and a front sheet of glass.
Features
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Some common features among all types of curio cabinets are adjustable shelves, plate grooves and padlock shelf clips that hold the shelves securely in place. Most all curios have mirrored backs for a 360-degree view of the collectible. Lighted curios stand out in any room as they showcase your collection, and you will find that many of the curios sold today contain halogen lighting. Adjustable levelers on each corner of the cabinet allow you to level your curio onto any type of flooring.
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