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Details
A fine, possibly early 19th-Century, English orrery,
unsigned, the ivory earthball with etched colures, ecliptic, polar, tropic and equatorial rings, with brass frame to indicate areas of night, orbiting ivory moon ball on single castor mount running around an inclined brass orbit ring, mounted on two steel discs, one with the zodiacal signs, the other demonstrating the phases of the moon over one month, on a geared brass mechanism with six wheels, at the centre a brass sunball with iron pointer, the axis with two short arms for ivory balls representing Mercury and Venus, a second brass pointer at the base of the mechanism arranged to read off the 9-inch (22.9cm.) diameter papered mahogany horizon plate, the printed paper with compass directions, and graduated in days of the month and of the houses of the Zodiac and in degrees, the centre with a simple map of the Solar System and various relative distances, on three brass bun feet, with a separate ebonised circular plinth base and glass dome (night-shade, brass pointer, paper, feet and dome possibly later) -- 9in. (22.9cm.) high with dome
See Colour Illustration
unsigned, the ivory earthball with etched colures, ecliptic, polar, tropic and equatorial rings, with brass frame to indicate areas of night, orbiting ivory moon ball on single castor mount running around an inclined brass orbit ring, mounted on two steel discs, one with the zodiacal signs, the other demonstrating the phases of the moon over one month, on a geared brass mechanism with six wheels, at the centre a brass sunball with iron pointer, the axis with two short arms for ivory balls representing Mercury and Venus, a second brass pointer at the base of the mechanism arranged to read off the 9-inch (22.9cm.) diameter papered mahogany horizon plate, the printed paper with compass directions, and graduated in days of the month and of the houses of the Zodiac and in degrees, the centre with a simple map of the Solar System and various relative distances, on three brass bun feet, with a separate ebonised circular plinth base and glass dome (night-shade, brass pointer, paper, feet and dome possibly later) -- 9in. (22.9cm.) high with dome
See Colour Illustration
Special notice
VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium.