Sold Antiques

M-13607: (Image: 19 ¼ x 22 1/8’’) “PLANISPHÆRIUM CŒLESTE...” Augsburg: Matthias Seutter, c. 1730. State 1 (before Imperial Privilege granted in 1732). Engraved map with original hand-coloring. Reference: Warner, p. 245 #1; Kansas #6.3.4.5.

Highly decorative double hemisphere celestial chart showing the northern and southern sky with constellations in allegorical form derived from Hevelius.

It depicts the constellations in a double hemisphere format and includes the 7 new constellations visible from the mid northern latitudes that are still accepted today (including Sextans – named for one of his own astronomical instruments).

The five spheres along the bottom illustrate phases of the moon and planetary theories of Tycho Brahe, Copernicus, Ptolemy and Landsberg.

The top spheres portray the moments of creation as described in the Bible (left) and the monthly orbit and illumination of the moon (right). The allegorical figures between the top spheres represent the sun, moon, man, woman…and God gazing down at his creation.