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Armillary sphere

Charles-François Delamarchec. 1791 - c. 1805

Museu Marítim de Barcelona

Museu Marítim de Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain

Sphere is surrounded by a spherical metal arc, 36.8 cm in exterior diameter, 1.7 cm in width and 0.5 cm thick, which acts as a meridian. Arc with the inscription: Meridien / Degrés d’elevation du Pôle. Each quadrant is graduated and numbered from 0º to 90º. The sphere is 31.2 cm in diameter and is covered with pasteboard and coloured, printed paper. It is Ptolemaic in type – that is, with the Earth as its centre. The language used is French.
The three parallels – the Tropic of Cancer, the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn – are shown graduated and with their names inscribed (Tropique de Càncer / Ligne equinoctial, Tropique du Capricorne). The two meridians, the Equinox and the solstice, are also graduated and inscribed (Colure Equinoxe, Colure des Solstice). The Equator is graduated with two different scales, featuring decorations of the signs of the zodiac and months of the year. By the month of March we can see the signature of the author: A Paris chez Delamarche Geog. Rue du Foin Saint Jacques, de Collège de Mtre Gervais. In the lower part, a metal ring is divided up into hours, using Roman numerals, and the Antarctic Circle (Cercle antartique). In the upper part, the Arctic Circle (Cercle Arctique) on pasteboard and graduated. Includes polar axis, but without the Earth, the Moon and the Sun.
6.7 cm wood horizon with coloured printed paper and the border painted red. The ring of the horizon is decorated with the signs of the zodiac featuring drawings of each sign, the months of the year and the directions of the winds, including double graduation with a difference of degrees.
The sphere is mounted on a Dutch-type base 37.5 cm in height.

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  • Title: Armillary sphere
  • Creator: Charles-François Delamarche
  • Date: c. 1791 - c. 1805
  • Location: Paris
  • Physical Dimensions: Diàmetre esfera 31,2 cm
  • Type: Scientific instrument
  • Medium: Coloured printed paper on pasteboard, coloured printed paper on wood, metal, and polychrome wood
Museu Marítim de Barcelona

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