Globes

Terrestrial and celestial globes are used for representing the positions of geographical and astronomical features. During the 16th century, with the new interest in exploration and navigation, terrestrial globes became increasingly in demand; the first known was constructed in 1492 by the Nuremberg map-maker Martin Behaim. These globes all appear in the collection of mathematical and physical instruments in Dresden’s Zwinger Palace.
The Arabian celestial globe of 1279 is one of the oldest Islamic globes known. Constructed in Persia, it consists of brass overlaid with gold and silver and illustrates the positions of about one thousand stars arranged into forty-seven constellations, following ideas of Ptolemy.
The terrestrial globe of 1568 was constructed by Johannes Praetorius of Nuremberg. The map inscribed on it depicts the continents of Europe, Africa, Asia and America, with America shown joined to Asia.
The globe clock of 1586 was designed by Johannes Reinhold and Georg Roll of Augsburg. Made of brass and copper covered with gold leaf, it contains a small terrestrial sphere below a large celestial sphere, all crowned by a small armillary sphere and surrounded by a movable calendar ring. The celestial sphere depicts forty-nine constellations.
 [East Germany 1972]