exotica
Unusual foreign objects
Exotica refers to objects, cultural products, or experiences that seem unusual, foreign, or intriguingly different from one's own culture.
The term often carries connotations of the romanticized or fetishized "other," particularly items from distant lands marketed for their perceived strangeness or allure.
In music, exotica specifically denotes a mid-20th-century genre featuring lush orchestration and sounds meant to evoke tropical or Polynesian atmospheres.
The shop was filled with exotica from Southeast Asia.
Valuable old items
- curiosRare collectible objects
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- raritiesUncommon or scarce items
- ephemeraDisposables preserved as collectibles
memorabilia · objets d'art · cabinet of curiosities · specimens · taxidermy · fossils · shells · minerals
Powerfully attractive, tempting
- enticingPowerfully attractive
- glamorousAlluringly stylish and exciting
- enchantingDelightfully attractive, spellbinding
- captivatingDeeply holding one's attention
beguiling · mysterious · sensual · sultry · bewitching · mesmerizing · irresistible · tantalizing
At great distance
- unfamiliarNot previously known
- alienNon-native being
- importedObtained from overseas
- overseasIn foreign countries
tropical · remote · uncharted · outlandish · beyond the horizon · unexplored · elsewhere · the unknown
Comfortable waiting room
- tikiPolynesian deity figure
- vibraphoneMotorized resonator percussion
- space-ageTechnologically advanced, futuristically styled
- easy listeningUndemanding melodic audio
bossa nova · calypso · worldbeat · hi-fi · stereo · percussion · polyrhythms · bird calls
Puzzling and obscure
- arcaneUnderstood by few
- crypticObscure in meaning
- inscrutableImpossible to understand
- esotericAccessible to few
occult · veiled · mysterious · unknown · unfathomable · secretive · hidden · forbidden knowledge
antiques
Valuable old items
- curiosRare collectible objects
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- raritiesUncommon or scarce items
ephemera · memorabilia · objets d'art · cabinet of curiosities · specimens · taxidermy · fossils · shells · minerals · amulets
seductive
Powerfully attractive, tempting
- enticingPowerfully attractive
- glamorousAlluringly stylish and exciting
- enchantingDelightfully attractive, spellbinding
captivating · beguiling · mysterious · sensual · sultry · bewitching · mesmerizing · irresistible · tantalizing · provocative
faraway
At great distance
- unfamiliarNot previously known
- alienNon-native being
- importedObtained from overseas
overseas · tropical · remote · uncharted · outlandish · beyond the horizon · unexplored · elsewhere · the unknown · otherworldly
lounge
Comfortable waiting room
- tikiPolynesian deity figure
- vibraphoneMotorized resonator percussion
- space-ageTechnologically advanced, futuristically styled
easy listening · bossa nova · calypso · worldbeat · hi-fi · stereo · percussion · polyrhythms · bird calls · bachelor pad
enigmatic
Puzzling and obscure
- arcaneUnderstood by few
- crypticObscure in meaning
- inscrutableImpossible to understand
esoteric · occult · veiled · mysterious · unknown · unfathomable · secretive · hidden · forbidden knowledge · shadowy
- curiositiesoddities, curiosities, rarities, wonders, anomalies
- Jazz Fusionjazz fusion, fusion jazz, Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis
- Pacific musicHawaiian music, string band, traditional chants, island music, cultural fusion
exoticaeveryday objects
Ordinary things encountered routinely
household items · staples · basics · commodities · standard fare
exoticabanality
Tiresome lack of originality
kitsch · bric-a-brac · tchotchkes · dreck · junk
- exotic localeUnfamiliar, alluring destination
- exotic petsUncommon domesticated animals
- exotic animalsNon-domesticated foreign species
- exotic birdsUnusual avian species
- exotic fruitUncommon imported produce
- exotic meat