As the popularity of collecting fairs and Pinterest would attest, we are a nation of magpie obsessions.
Renaissance expert Professor Nandini Das, from the University of Liverpool’s School of the Arts, reveals the story behind the Cabinet of Curiosities – the original collecting craze that began in Renaissance Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, and which is experiencing a surprising revival in the work of contemporary artists today.
Watch Dr Das presenting BBC’ Four’s ‘WonderousObsessions: The Cabinet of Curiosities’ here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b053pzmb/secret-knowledge-14-wondrous-obsessions-the-cabinet-of-curiosities