WILMINGTON | It all started innocently enough with a single shark’s tooth found on a stroll as a little girl with her father. More than 50 years later, Lisa Plazzo has transformed her Wilmington-area home into a museum of curiosities.
A collector of collections, Plazzo’s exhibits include other maritime tokens such as seashells, mermaids and jellyfish. But the sea is far from her only interest. A curio cabinet in her living room contains more than 100 tiny porcelain snuffboxes. Another counter is lined with coin silver flatware. A wire cage is home to a cache of insect-themed pins.
“I didn’t set out to collect any of these things,” Plazzo said. “They’re just something that sparked my interest.”
The bug was planted early. Plazzo’s father was an ear, nose and throat doctor in the days before patient privacy laws. A trio of pin boards in his office displayed a dizzying array of sterilized objects, all catalogued by orifice of extraction and patient name.
Plazzo, herself a doctor with MEDAC, prefers to maintain a clear separation of hobby and vocation; no collections at work and no work-related collections at home.
“There’s a fine line between collecting and hoarding,” Plazzo said. “I don’t think I’ve crossed it yet.”
Despite the undeniably large volume, Plazzo’s collections are remarkably compartmentalized with a clinician’s rigor, creating multiple areas of retreat in the home she shares with her non-collector husband, Bob.
“It’s just such a happy place to go and rid yourself of all of life’s strife,” Plazzo said.
Here are some snapshots of just a few of Lisa Plazzo’s collections:
1. What: Limoges snuffboxes
How many: 125
Details: Limoges, France has been known for fine porcelain since the 18th century. Plazzo exclusively collects delicate pieces featuring a bunny motif. Her favorite examples sport an artistic flourish painted inside. With prices rocketing, Plazzo has quit adding new pieces to this exhibit of incredibly detailed pieces.
These aren’t the only bunnies in Plazzo’s home. Among others, a coffee table in her living room has several around the base and a metal bunny greets visitors from her porch rail.
2. What: Bug-themed pins
How many: 27
Details: Many of Plazzo’s patients can recognize her by the frequently changing insect pinned to her shirt. Be it a tiny beetle or palm-sized praying mantis, most of the insects are sculpted from brightly colored clay, glass, wire or beads. “I don’t know why,” Plazzo said. “I just love wearable bugs.”
3. What: Coin silver spoons
How many: 56
Details: Coin silver flatware began life as foreign currency, Plazzo said. Immigrants would come to America with now-valueless currency and have that silver melted down and cast into something considerably more useful. Plazzo’s pursuit is limited to spoons only, although some collectors seek out complete sets.
4. What: Shark’s teeth
How many: More than 5,000
Details: It was a chance encounter with an impressive specimen that cemented Plazzo’s decision to call Wilmington home. Seven years ago, the then Ohio resident was strolling on Wrightsville Beach with her husband and looked down with wonder. “It was the largest tooth I’ve ever found,” Plazzo said. “I knew right away this is where I was supposed to be.”