objet de vertu
nounEtymology From French objet + de + variant form of English virtu, after e.g. English objet d'art, from French objet d'art. The term objet de vertu does not exist in French.
1
An object of particular interest for reasons of history, workmanship etc.
- We impotents are great collectors of objets de vertu, snuffboxes, musical boxes, knick-knacks.1974, Lawrence Durrell, Monsieur, Faber & Faber, published 1992, page 260: