Bonhams 1793 : A rare George Adams armillary sphere, English, late 18th century,

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9 Nov 2011 13:00 GMT London, Knightsbridge
Scientific Instuments
Back to auction 19035

A rare George Adams armillary sphere, English, late 18th century,

signed Adams, London, the terrestrial globe, after Moll, with cartouche printed A Correct Globe with the New Discoveries, hand coloured and printed with various tracts of Cook, mounted with brass meridian and horizon rings, signed, and engraved with degree scales and six cardinal points, rotating above a ring engraved with hours scale and gear box, from the poles of the ecliptic are mounted brass armatures and ivory sphere representing the moon and brass sphere representing the sun, within frame of two meridian rings engraved with degrees of latitude, equatorial and ecliptic circles and tropic and arctic circles, all engraved with titles, the whole raised on short column with adjustable against 90 degree scale, joint, tapering column and folding tripod base 19 3/4in (50cm) high; 9in (23cm) diameter

Sold for £133,250 inc. premium

Footnotes

George Adams Junior's catalogue of 1795 lists "An armillary sphere shewing at one view the real apparent motions of the heavens £31 10s 0d".

For similar armillary spheres see Matinus Van Marum Life and Work by G L'E Turner and T H Levere, Volume catalogue no. 94. Adams of Fleet Street by J R Millburn, page 225.

Category: Collectibles / Scientific Instruments

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