Cabinets of curiosities, (Wunderkammer or Wonder room) an early ancestor of the modern museum. Emerged around 16th century in Renaissance Europe, as people began to privately display and classify objects from all areas of the world that were considered to be exotic. They were often organized and displayed in very unusual ways. Frequently composed as fully immersive environments, with objects seemingly arranged more for aesthetic effect than scientific explication. Items were grouped together simply because of their colour, or because they were all birds or flowers, or all the same shape. Some may call it an irrational organization but it was one that was based on a kind of primitive taxonomy.