By Arca Noctis
More than 100 years ago, stereoscopes offered families an opportunity to visit faraway lands and witness world-changing events in a sensory-enveloping three dimensions. Middle class viewers could gawk at the pyramids of Egypt, browse a marketplace in India, attend a lavish royal funeral or even experience the aftermath of a…
By Arca Noctis
While playing cards first migrated from Egypt and the Far East to Europe in the late 1300s, decks which may have been used specifically for divination — or fortune telling — appeared in various parts of Italy nearly 50 years later. These Tarot decks, from the Italian “tarocchi,” started with…
By Arca Noctis
There are few requests Arca Noctis gets more often than for authentic shrunken heads. While they are a Hollywood staple of freak shows, oddities shops and bazaars of the bizarre, they don’t come up for legitimate sale very often. Despite their rarity, most serious oddity dealers have come to know…
By Arca Noctis
Fabled gemstones have a special allure for treasure hunters. From the allegedly cursed Hope Diamond to the mysterious Black Orlov, these priceless stones often come with blood-soaked back stories that only heighten their appeal — and their asking price. The Orlov, in fact, inspired The Earl of Hell’s Waistcoat, a…
