conversation pieces
Objects provoking dialogue
Objects displayed primarily because they provoke discussion or comment from visitors.
A conversation piece might be an unusual sculpture, an antique curiosity, or anything eye-catching enough to spark talk: That elephant-foot umbrella stand is quite the conversation piece.
The term can be gently ironic, applied to something so odd or ugly it demands explanation.
Valuable old items
- heirloomsObjects passed through family lines
- curiosRare collectible objects
- curiositiesUnusual things worth examining
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
relics · tchotchkes · knickknacks · baubles · trinkets · souvenirs · memorabilia · keepsakes
Tension-easing social activity
- anecdotesBrief amusing accounts
- storytellingRecounting events aloud
- talking pointsPrepared discussion themes
- guestsPeople received hospitably
visitors · admirers · memories · history · provenance · origin story · social gathering · dinner party
Shelf above fireplace
- bookshelfFurniture for storing volumes
- coffee tableLow table near seating
- sideboardFurniture for dishes and linens
- display caseEnclosed viewing cabinet
pedestal · wall art · sculpture · tapestry · chandelier · antique clock · mirror · aquarium
Idiosyncratically unusual
- whimsicalPlayfully fanciful or erratic
- bohemianArtistic nonconformist type
- vintageQuality from past eras
- retroEvoking recent past
kitsch · avant-garde · unconventional · offbeat · idiosyncratic · surreal · exotic · unusual
antiques
Valuable old items
- heirloomsObjects passed through family lines
- curiosRare collectible objects
- curiositiesUnusual things worth examining
artifacts · relics · tchotchkes · knickknacks · baubles · trinkets · souvenirs · memorabilia · keepsakes · figurines
icebreaker
Tension-easing social activity
- anecdotesBrief amusing accounts
- storytellingRecounting events aloud
- talking pointsPrepared discussion themes
guests · visitors · admirers · memories · history · provenance · origin story · social gathering · dinner party · hosting
mantelpiece
Shelf above fireplace
- bookshelfFurniture for storing volumes
- coffee tableLow table near seating
- sideboardFurniture for dishes and linens
display case · pedestal · wall art · sculpture · tapestry · chandelier · antique clock · mirror · aquarium · terrarium
quirky
Idiosyncratically unusual
- whimsicalPlayfully fanciful or erratic
- bohemianArtistic nonconformist type
- vintageQuality from past eras
retro · kitsch · avant-garde · unconventional · offbeat · idiosyncratic · surreal · exotic · unusual · one-of-a-kind
- portraitureheadshot, portrait lighting, self portrait, formal portrait, candid portrait
- Hogarth Worksself-portraits
- American portraitsoil portraits, miniature portraits, presidential portraits, family portraits, self-portraits
- eclectic decorboho, bohemian, maximalism, mismatched, mix and match
conversation, piece, converse, conversing, conversed, converses, conversational, conversationally, convert