A French Copernican armillary sphere, c. 1890
Stock Number: 421020
Price on application
Dimensions
Height: 40 cm.
Circa
1890
Country of manufacture
France
Description
A French Copernican hand rotating armillary sphere of the of circa 1890. Arising from an ebonized wooden stand with rotating planets around the sun. Eleven rotating celestial bodies are depicted including the Sun, Venus, Mercurius, Earth, Moon, Mars, Vesta, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
At the centre the sun as a metal ball, the earth as a miniature papier mâche globe and the moon as a white bone globe. The earth can be rotated by hand and the remaining planets are displayed as cardboard circles with copper engravings of the planets. Their names names and their complete orbit around the Sun written in years, days and hours. For Saturn it would be 20 years, 176 days and 14 hours ‘fait sa revolution en 20 ans 176 jours et 14 heures’. In good condition.
Height: 40 cm.
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Dealer information
Van Leest Antiques
Van Leest Antiques
Van Leest Antiques, based in Utrecht in the Netherlands, specialises in antique scientific and medical instruments. Their collection covers mainly scientific and medical antique instruments: barometers, globes and planataria, nautical instruments, anatomical models, and pharmacy items. Toon Van Leest travels regularly in Europe and visits trade fairs, auctions, and antique dealers to collect stock and to find pieces to fulfil his clients' unusual requests.
As well as being an avid antique collector and dealer, Toon Van Leest is also a dentist. He believes that antiques are a stable investment, not reliant on trends or fashion, and have truly lasting value. Above all, he says, antiques are timeless and never lose their beauty.
