[nb-NO]Details[nb-NO]

M-7

Armillary Sphere: Ptolemaic

This Ptolemaic Armillary Sphere was crafted in Europe by an unknown maker. The base was made in the late 17th century, and the sphere in the 19th century. The sphere and the base are made of brass. The central Earth is brown and painted with plaster, and is surrounded by rotating flat rings with full-moon and solar face on disks facing outwards; both on equatorial rather than the ecliptic axis. There is a rotating sphere with equinoctial and solstitial colures. The tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, and the Arctic and Antarctic circles are present. On the ecliptic band, the Latin months are inscribed directly beneath the zodiacal signs. The civil calendar is not properly shifted. There is a quatrefoil cap made of brass at the north pole of the sphere. The meridian ring is mounted in a cradle with a horizon circle divided for azimuth with the same measurements as the meridian ring. The zodiacal calendar and the names and symbols, as well as the Latin civil calendar divided into days and the Latin wind rose of 4 points are shown as well. The horizon circle is supported by 4 arms engraved with leaves and attached to a pedestal with 3 scrolling legs. The legs rest on a marble base. There is a difference in craftsmanship between the base and the sphere, which suggest the nicer of the two, the base, could have been part of Louis XIV’s collection. Internal equatorial axis.

"CABINET Du Roy VERSAILLES" (sic)

19th century

brass, plaster, marble

	Imperial(in)		Metric(cm)
Height			67.3
Width			37.6
Depth			37.5
Diameter
Circumference

	Imperial(in)		Metric(cm)
Height
Width
Depth
Diameter