Accession No
1184
Brief Description
4-inch Alabaster celestial globe
Origin
Maker
Class
astronomy
Earliest Date
Latest Date
Inscription Date
Material
stone (alabaster)
Dimensions
diameter 93mm
Special Collection
Provenance
Transferred from the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography, University of Cambridge (now Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology).
Inscription
‘A 83.
CAS. 751[?].
Astrono-
mical
Stone Globe
Cam. Ant. Soc’ (MS on paper label)
Description Notes
4-inch Alabaster celestial globe.
Engraved with Equator, Tropics, Ecliptic, Arctic and Antarctic Circles, and solstitial and equinoctial colures. Ecliptic circle engraved with signs of zodiac, each sign divided 0] - 30˚, numbered by 10˚. All the circles are divided but only the ecliptic is numbered. Hole in base.
Condition good; complete.
References
Events
Description
This four-inch celestial globe was possibly acquired by the Cambridge Antiquarian Society whose collection became the foundation of the Archaeology and Anthropology Museum at the University of Cambridge. The Society was founded in 1840. Celestial globes were helpful in solving some astronomical problems, but were often not large or accurate enough to be practically useful. Often simply showcases of wealth and prestige, one important function was as a piece of luxury furniture. This small example might have formed part of a cabinet collection.
03/06/2014
Created by: Allison Ksiazkiewicz on 03/06/2014
FM:40159
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