As people started collecting more types of arts and curiosities, a demand grew for furniture in which to display treasured objects. Early collections by churches of holy relics created reliquaries. Ship trading starting in the Renaissance and enhanced by the age of enlightenment, brought back to the West Chinese porcelains, new examples of nature, archeology, cultural objects and other oddities to collect. The affordability of glass spurred a growing range of display cases for private, museum and commercial purposes. |
