Description
The meridian is surmounted by an hour circle with metal pointer and contains an internal rotating spherical armillary ring structure with red painted edges comprised of polar circles, tropical circles (Capricorn and Cancer), and equator — all joined by an equinoctial and a solstitial colure and surrounded by a planar zodiacband with images of the signs of the zodiac. In the center of the ring structure is a rotating terrestrial globe approximately 1.5 inches in diameter. The globe is surrounded by sun and moon flat discs revolving on flat metal armatures. The horizon band with calendar and zodiac is raised on four quadrant supports with latitude and longitude data, on a turned, ebonized wood stand with a bulbous tapering baluster central standard and dish base.
On both the zodiac and meridian, the armillary is inscribed with the name of the globe maker and seller, Louis-Charles Desnos, with his address Rue St. Julien le Pauvre, A Paris. It is also dated 1753 on the zodiac which was soon after he had taken over the Hardy globe making firm in Paris. The terrestrial globe (original to the sphere) is dated 1744, which is also the year Desnos’s predecessor, Nicolas Hardy, died.
Demonstrational armillary spheres were commonly produced in France in the 18th and 19th centuries to show various basic principles of astronomy. An armillary sphere with the earth at the center is known as Ptolemaic, and an armillary sphere with the sun at the center is known as Copernican. Ptolemy (2nd Century A.D), an Alexandrian astronomer believed that the earth was at the center of the universe. Ptolemaic armillary spheres were produced in Islamist countries, reaching advanced levels as early as the 10th century.
Louis-Charles Desnos was a French globe maker. For more information see our Guide to Globe Makers.
Inscription on zodiac: Se monte et se vend Chés Desnos rue St. Julien le Pauvre A Paris 1753.
Inscription on meridian: Se monte et se vend [C]hez Desnos rüe St. Julien le pauvre, A Paris.
Earth globe cartouche: GLOBE/TERREST./ 1744.
Condition: Armillary sphere rings, globe, and sun and moon discs generally very good, with the usual expected light toning, wear, discoloration and darkening, soiling and handling. Terrestrial globe a bit more darkened overall but nonetheless readable. Some mild warping to various rings. Stand very good with the usual overall light wear, warping, shrinkage.
References:
Allmayer-Beck, Peter E., ed. Modelle der Welt: Erd-und Himmelsgloben — Kulturerbe aus oesterreichischen Sammlungen. [Models Of The World: Terrestrial And Celestial Globes — Cultural Inheritance from Austrian Collections.] Vienna: Bibliophile Edition/Christian Brandstaetter Verlagsgesellschaft, 1997. p. 156.
Dahl, Edward H. and Gauvin, Jean-François.Sphaerae Mundi: Early Globes at the Stewart Museum.Canada: Septentrion and McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2000. p. 150.
Dekker, Elly, et al.Globes at Greenwich: A Catalogue of the Globes and Armillary Spheres in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.London: Oxford University Press and the National Maritime Museum, 1999. p. 352.
Dekker, Elly and van der Krogt, Peter.Globes from the Western World.London: Zwemmer, 1993. pp. 70, 74.
Dooley, R.V.Maps and Map-Makers.4th Ed. New York: Bonanza Books, 1970. p. 44.
Khan, Samia. The Armillary Sphere: A Concentrate of Knowledge in Islamic Astronomy. Manchester, UK: FSTC Ltd., December 2007. pp. 2-13.
