细节
An Important French Orrery with Tellurium and Armillary Sphere, first quarter of the 19th Century.
A brass mechanical orrery with tellurian attachment and armillary rings, maximum diameter 21½ inches (54cm), overall height 25½ inches (65cm). The outer armillary sphere comprising two graduated prime meridians and ecliptic circle, horizon ring engraved with calendar and zodiac scales, with figures of the zodiac lettered in French, the horizon supported by 4 inward swept cabriole legs, carrying the drum mechanism, diameter 8½ inches (22cm). The drum with geared motion operated by three driving shafts with two rosewood,brass and steel turning keys, the drum enclosed by a glazed face plate enabling the complex motion to be seen in operation. Vertical motion shafts extend upwards from the drum, enclosed in a pillar, to the main orrery with 10 planetary arms and supplementary geared tellurium, the central shaft surmounted by a 3cm diameter sunball, the planets, moons and satellites in ivory, the ivory earth globe on tellurium painted with the continents in red. Saturn is depicted with eight satellites, Uranus with five.
A magnificent French mechanical Orrery in fine condition, illustrating the movements of the planets in the Copernican heliocentric universe, the addition of the armillary rings allowing its use as a planetarium. An astronomical instrument of this quality and technical expertise could only have been made by one of the finest Parisian instrument makers. In the early years of the 19th Century Paul Etienne Lenoir (1776-1827) took over the runing of his father's famous workshop in Paris and under his direction created important instruments which won many awards..
A brass mechanical orrery with tellurian attachment and armillary rings, maximum diameter 21½ inches (54cm), overall height 25½ inches (65cm). The outer armillary sphere comprising two graduated prime meridians and ecliptic circle, horizon ring engraved with calendar and zodiac scales, with figures of the zodiac lettered in French, the horizon supported by 4 inward swept cabriole legs, carrying the drum mechanism, diameter 8½ inches (22cm). The drum with geared motion operated by three driving shafts with two rosewood,brass and steel turning keys, the drum enclosed by a glazed face plate enabling the complex motion to be seen in operation. Vertical motion shafts extend upwards from the drum, enclosed in a pillar, to the main orrery with 10 planetary arms and supplementary geared tellurium, the central shaft surmounted by a 3cm diameter sunball, the planets, moons and satellites in ivory, the ivory earth globe on tellurium painted with the continents in red. Saturn is depicted with eight satellites, Uranus with five.
A magnificent French mechanical Orrery in fine condition, illustrating the movements of the planets in the Copernican heliocentric universe, the addition of the armillary rings allowing its use as a planetarium. An astronomical instrument of this quality and technical expertise could only have been made by one of the finest Parisian instrument makers. In the early years of the 19th Century Paul Etienne Lenoir (1776-1827) took over the runing of his father's famous workshop in Paris and under his direction created important instruments which won many awards..