Curioses

Curioses is a rarely used plural noun in English that refers to objects that elicit curiosity because of their unusual form, rarity, or oddity. In modern usage, the more common term for such items is curiosities; curioses may appear in historical writing, niche catalogs, or stylistic contexts as a variant or specialized label within a collection.

Etymology and usage have a loose connection to the word curiosity, which itself derives from Latin curiosus meaning careful or inquisitive. The form curioses is not widely attested in contemporary vocabulary and is more likely to be encountered in discussions of cabinets of curiosities or in fictional or historical texts describing those collections.

Curioses encompass a broad range of objects. They can include natural history specimens (such as unusual fossils, shells, or minerals), ethnographic artifacts, anatomical or anatomical-alteration oddities, early mechanical devices, rare books, and other anomalies, marvels, or items that provoke questions about origin and function. The common thread is their capacity to inspire wonder, discussion, or taxonomic debate.

Historical context and function: In Renaissance and early modern Europe, cabinets of curiosities—often called Wunderkammer—assembled curioses to display the breadth of natural and cultural phenomena. They served educational purposes, demonstrated the collector’s knowledge and status, and stimulated systematic inquiry into classification, natural history, and world cultures. The concept also reflects the entangled histories of science, exploration, and commerce.

Contemporary usage and ethics: Today, objects of this kind are typically described as curiosities or extraordinary objects in museum labels or catalogues. The term curioses remains uncommon; when used, it often signals a stylistic nod to historical display practices. Ethical considerations include provenance, repatriation, and respect for the cultures from which such curioses originated.