Terrestrial and celestial globes; their history and ... - 24grammata.com

Terrestrial and Celestial Globes.
pictures succeeding each other to the center of the wall which
is at the head of the room, and opposite to the principal
door, that namely whereon is placed the horologue with its
wheels, and the daily motions made by the planets in their
spheres; I mean that so much renowned clock made by the
Florentine Lorenzo della Volpaja. Above the compartments
representing Europe, are those of Africa in eleven divisions ;
these extend to the horologue itself, beyond which and on
the lower part is Asia, which occupies a consecutive range
of four compartments, extending to the principal door.
There are besides the West Indies, which commence from
the clock, and continue to the principal door; the whole
series forming the fifty-seven divisions before mentioned.
On the lower part of the walls and immediately beneath
the geographical delineations, in an equal number of com-
partments will be the various plants and animals produced
by the respective countries, all depicted from nature. Over
the cornice of the said cabinets, which completes the decora-
tions, there are to be niches dividing the pictures, and in
these will be placed certain antique busts in marble, representing
the Emperors and Princes by whom these lands have
been possessed, so far as those portraits are known to exist
or can be procured. The ceiling is entirely in carved wood-
work, and within the compartments of the same are twelve
large pictures, in each of which are to be four celestial signs,
making in the whole forty-eight; the figures are to be but
little less than life size, each accompanied by its stars. On
the walls beneath are three hundred portraits of distin-
guished persons belonging to the last five centuries, or somewhat
more; they are painted in oil; but, that I may not
make too long a story, I refer the mention of their names
to the tables of my work. All have frames of similar size,
very richly carved in oak, and producing an exceedingly
fine effect."
"In the two pictures occupying the center of the ceiling,
each of which is four braccia wide, are the celestial signs;
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