Terrestrial table globe

Terrestrial table globe. Geographical details on the sphere show California drawn as an island. The Dutch discoveries of Australia up to 1644 are shown, with names of capes in Dutch. The explorations of Dampier are not recorded. No hypothetical southern continent is drawn but the area is labelled 'AUSTRALIA INCOGNITA'. There are some nicely drawn ships in the oceans for decoration, with a scene of a shipwreck in the Indian Ocean. A total of nine oceans are named.

According to the text in the cartouche, this globe was made for a location at a latitude from Tenerife, probably a monastery in Vienna. The map is in the Dutch tradition exemplified by the world map of Joan Blaeu (1648) and Frederick de Wit (1660), although the globe is a very unusual design, inspired by the art of dialling. The analemma, as included here, becomes common on globes only in the late 18th century. For full details about the cartography and construction of this globe please refer to the related publication.

Object Details

ID: GLB0110
Collection: Astronomical and navigational instruments; Charts and maps
Type: Table globe
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Unknown
Date made: 1725
People: Blaeu, Joan; Wit, Frederick De
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Caird Collection
Measurements: Overall: 850 x 676 mm; Diameter of sphere: 468 mm; Diameter of Meridian Ring: 518 mm
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