Beschreibung:

MANUSCRIPT CELESTIAL GLOBE - HOFMANN, C.A. Globus Coelestis in quo longitudines Stellarum ad annum MDCCL Completum exhibentur. Secundum Praetantissimorum Probatissimorumque Astronorum Observationes Singulari Cura compositus ac descriptus a C.A. Hoffmanno Math. Scient. Cutore. . [Würzberg, 1720-40.] An important manuscript celestial globe, diameter 18 inches (46cm.), overall height 53 inches (135 cm.). The globe made up of 14 paper gore strips and two polar calottes pasted over a wood and plaster base, onto which has been delicately drawn the stars and constellation figures. The numerous stars are shown by variously sized star symbols (indicating their magnitude), and infilled in gold, around which have been drawn the elaborate constellation figures, the celestial equator and ecliptic neatly drawn and graduated, tropics and polar circles, meridian at 30° intervals. Around the northern hemisphere are drawn the tracks of 12 comets most from observations in the late 16th to early 18th century, the last being Cassini's observations of 1707, the tracks marking the movement on a daily basis, each dated and annotated with the observer. Decorative title and dedicatory cartouches placed in the southern hemisphere near Cetus, the dedicatory cartouche left blank. The surface of the paper lightly varnished (some light wear of paper surface and one small tension crack near equator). Horizon circles carefully drawn with narrow inner calendar scale and broad images of the zodiacal signs taking up the horizon circle, the paper gores extending across the octagonal surface, lightly varnished and darkened. The globe mounted on its original oak stand, the horizon circle supported by four scrolled and chased quadrants, to a turned column, with three splayed legs. A VERY RARE GERMAN MANUSCRIPT CELESTIAL GLOBE constructed and drawn up by C.A. Hoffmann. The globe was owned by an important Würburg family from the middle of the 18th century onwards, and it would appear that it was made by a local amateur scientist and astronomer, probably intended for a friend or patron. The globe is well made and very closely detailed with the images on the horizon bars being particularly well drawn. The fact that the dedication cartouche was left unfinished suggests that the globe was never received by the intended recipient. An analysis of the star information and the tracks of the comets, gives a way of dating the globe. the actual position of the stars is calculated for 1750, ahead of the time of calculation, the constellation figures are drawn in the classic Ptolemaic style, with the addition of stars and constellations in the Southern hemisphere taken from Dutch voyages and drawn up in charts by Peter Plancius. Hoffmann appeared to copy his star positions from a set of 6 celestial star maps published by Doppelmayr in the early 1720's in Nuremberg, and later he published 3 pairs of celestial globes. For the Doppelmayr celestial charts the calculation is for 1730, and therefore Hofmann may well have recalculated the new positions of the stars. Of the comets it is interesting to note thatthe observation of Halley's comet Hevelius, Flamsteed and Halley is not noted but Kepler's observation of it's previous passage in 1607 is marked. Hofmann does not copy the comet trajectories od Doppelmayr's Motus Cometarum as published by Homann Heirs in 1742, and therefore it is likely that the celestial image was drawn between 1720 and 1740. All manuscript globes are extremely rare, while the delicate and careful drawing on this globe makes a beautiful image.