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Intendant Michel Bégon’s cabinet of curiosities, kept in Rochefort between 1689 and 1710, contained numerous objects from the Americas. These objects were the focus of numerous interactions: made, exchanged, described, sketched and transformed. Some came from places unknown to French sailors and frequented by freebooters - California, Tierra del Fuego. Others featured as common specimens in the French colonies and were distinguished on the basis of their aesthetic criteria or their suitability for exploitation. Objects were studied to understand their manufacturing techniques, their commercial potential or to woo the powerful. As a result, the value of American objects varied greatly according to the social status of those who wrote about, gifted or displayed them.