Rare 18th century celestial globe (Globus Coelestis) on a stand in mahogany and blackened wood by Anders Akerman, 1759.
Repaired: Stand supplemented and hour circle of brass is missing. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Minor structural damages. Minor fading. Fantastic historical object in distressed condition with wear and cracks. Pure beauty.
In 1758, the "Cosmographic Society" was formed in Uppsala, which was to prepare and manufacture maps and globes for the service of the public. The foreign maps and globes referred to were considered to be unnecessarily expensive, which meant that they were few and far between. In the protectionist spirit of the time, maps and globes would begin to be manufactured at home to benefit more people, preferably also eventually sold abroad. Another driving factor was the great interest in the natural sciences at the time. Those who engaged in globography also came into contact with geography, cartography, astronomy and meteorology. The globes were regarded as cultural educational factors and it was part of a young nobleman's knowledge bank to be able to read a globe.
The person who was commissioned to manufacture the globes was Anders Akerman, who works at the Uppsala Science Society as an engraver. The globes were made of papier-mâché, covered with plaster which was plastered before the engraved map was applied. The stands for the globes were made in Akerman's workshop according to a template.
