Ptolemaic Armillary Aphea in Wrought Iron and Wood with Florentine Lily Decoration

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Description

Item description:
Beautiful Ptolemaic armillary sphere consisting of a rotating wooden globe, hand-painted with Florentine lilies, mounted inside two wrought … Read more Item description:
Beautiful Ptolemaic armillary sphere consisting of a rotating wooden globe, hand-painted with Florentine lilies, mounted inside two wrought iron circles called armillae, one inside which the globe rotates, and another larger fixed one, inside which the globe rotates together with the first circle. The whole thing is supported by a tripod, also in wrought iron. Datable to around the first half of the 19th century. Object made in Florence.

Useful information for evaluating the object:
From a web search, we find that a 40 cm high armillary sphere made entirely of wood, therefore much larger than ours, is offered on the Internet for around €9,000. Another 53 cm tall wooden armillary sphere was sold at auction for over €2,000 plus fees in 2020 at Stair Galleries, while a huge armillary sphere, over 70 cm tall and made entirely of bronze, was sold for €510,000 plus fees at Sotheby's in 2023. All this to give an idea of the value of such objects. Ours, although much smaller, is made entirely by hand, entirely in wrought iron and wood.

Final considerations on the object:
In the Ptolemaic armillary sphere, the fixed armilla represents the horizon and the other, the mobile one, represents the meridians. The sphere rotates perpendicularly and in the opposite direction to the rotating metal circle. The antique patina covering the object is wonderful; we are talking about a piece that is over 150 years old. The Florentine lilies are beautiful, made entirely by hand with a brush tip. The presence of the Florentine lilies indicates that the object was certainly made in Florence entirely by hand, probably by a craftsman of the time. The artistic quality is very high, with perfectly hand-ground welds. It is a unique work of the highest value, a real gem for art lovers and collectors. See less