Götan Maailma

Götan Maailma is an ever-changing wunderkammer of a shop, with the merchandise ranging from Victorian mourning hair art, to a taxidermy badger, to a turtle with an ashtray in his shell, to an old piano. However, what makes Götan Maailma special is the way in which all of these incredible items are displayed.

The mourning hair art is on a wall, completely surrounded by other framed curios, creating an impressive homage to horror vacui. The badger has a festive little newspaper party hat tied to his head. The turtle’s ashtray and its surrounds are unexplainably covered in peanut shells. The piano has a full taxidermy reindeer regally standing on top of it. 

The shop’s owner, Thomas Hamberg, personally alters and adds to many of these old pieces, turning them from special antiques to unique works of art. What he doesn’t alter, he displays in strange tableaux. Though the space is small, it is easy to spend an hour looking around at the details of display in every corner. 

Each item for sale at the shop is a special piece on its own, but as a whole, with all of these special pieces combined and carefully arranged, Götan Maailma a 18th-19th century curiosity cabinet fantasy world. 

We recently chatted with Thomas Hamburg about the inspiration for the store’s name, letting his favorite pieces go, and what might happen if a bat pees in your eye. Read more about Götan Maailma and its owner here. 

Update: After being closed for three years, the store is reopening in 2019.