The Cabinet of Curiosities

From the 15th to the 19th centuries, people used to make a living with their tiny dioramas. The origin of the word rarie most likely stems from the word rarity. They were comprised of ornate wooden boxes, which were subdivided into compartments inside. Within each little box was a scene - sometimes an illustrated picture and other times a three-dimensional tableau. These kinds of peep shows became popular in Holland during the 1600s.