Celestial globe with clockwork
1579
Medium
Partially gilded silver, gilded brass (case); brass, steel (movement)
Dimensions
wt. (without mechanism) confirmed: 10 3/4 × 8 × 7 1/2 in., 86.412oz. (27.3 × 20.3 × 19.1 cm, 2450g) Diameter (globe): 5 1/2 in. (14 cm) Clockwork mechanism only, wt. confirmed: 35.27oz. (1000g)
Classification
Metalwork-Silver In Combination
Culture
Austrian, Vienna
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.636
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the Renaissance world of astronomy with Gerhard Emmoser's *Celestial Globe with Clock* (1579), a masterful Austrian creation from Vienna. Crafted as a luxurious metalwork piece, its case of partially gilded silver and brass encases a functional brass-and-steel clockwork mechanism, forming a 5½-inch (14 cm) diameter globe that elegantly depicts the heavens. Weighing over 8 pounds without its intricate movement, this object blends opulent decoration with scientific precision, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection—a gift from J....