J. & W. Cary
18-Inch Regency Celestial
Floor Globe
London: March: 1816
43 inches high; 24 inches diameter overall
Price on Request

A handsome full-sized celestial floor globe by J. & W. Cary, generally regarded as the greatest British globe makers of the late Georgian period.   Richly decorated with zodiac and other constellation figures, raised on a mahogany stand in the Georgian taste. The celestial globe surmounted by brass hour disc at North Pole, in full graduated brass meridian, the horizon with hand-colored calendar and zodiac; supported by four mahogany quadrants joined to the horizon by pairs of quarter-round brackets; raised on a mahogany tripod stand with central turned standard, the splayed legs joined by compass stretcher with glazed round wooden compass case enclosing a paper compass card and magnetized metal needle.

Comprised of two sets of twelve hand-colored engraved gores laid to the ecliptic poles, the axis through the celestial poles, the equatorial graduated in degrees and hours, the colures graduated in degrees, the ecliptic graduated in days of the houses of the zodiac with twilight zone, constellations elegantly depicted by figures of mythical beasts and scientific instruments, the zodiac belt within graph-form grid, the stars shown in a chart to nine orders of magnitude, together with planetary nebulae; clusters; nebulae and clusters [combined].  Cream colored background, the constellations in tones of pink, grey, browns, and olive. 

Read more about the Cary Family of Globemakers and Cartographers in our Guide to Globe Makers.

Oval Cartouche: CARY’S/ NEW CELESTIAL GLOBE./ on which are laid down,/ THE WHOLE OF THE STARS, NEBULAE &c,/ Contained in the Astronomical Works of the/ REVd F. WOLLASTON F.R.S./ De la Caille, Herschel, Hevelius, Mayer,/ Flamsteed, Bradley &c./ London: Made & Sold by J. & W. Cary Strand March 1816.

Condition:  Generally very good with the usual expected light scattered surface wear, minor staining, soiling, fading, toning, and abrasions, all restored.  Few small areas of minor losses restored.  Overall have a nice rich tone, attractive colors, good contrast, and sharp lettering.  Stand generally very good with some restorations.  Stand is of the period, but slightly different shape and format than generally associated with Cary globes, thus possibly associated with the globe.  Compass stretcher and compass later.