Jean-François Nollet, a noted scientist who taught physics to the French royal children, designed and assembled this globe, which shows a map of the night skies. He dated the globe 1730 and dedicated it to Louis de Bourbon-Condé, comte de Clermont.
Clermont was an important patron of the arts who became protector of the Société des Arts in 1728. This was a new organization established to provide collaboration between the arts and sciences; painters, sculptors, astronomers, clockmakers, architects, and goldsmiths were all members.