Celestial globes have been the means by which astronomers charted the heavens since ancient times. The first recorded solar eclipse was noted by the Chinese in 2136 BC. Chinese observatories were even built hundreds of years prior to that. The oldest surviving celestial globe (1144 AD) is from the Islamic world and is currently in the Louvre. Today, we have iPad apps like Vito Technolog's Star Walk and Emerald Sequoia's Observatory to give us precise positions of all the heavenly bodies. Still, there is nothing like a celestial globe to give one the overall perspective of the heavens, and this small 19th century celestial globe is the polar opposite of the modern app. The 4 inch diameter celestial Globe is mounted atop a simple brass tripod base with curled feet. A tan background sets off the red outlines and black dots representing the heavens' constellations. The small globe stands a mere 8 inches tall. This is a scarcely available size as very few were made! Reviewing and identifying celestial spheres can be challenging as one must think of himself standing in the center of the orb, looking up at the night sky. This "himmelsglobus" model was designed by Dr. Carl Rohrbach around 1895 for Dietrich Reimer of Berlin, Germany. Reimer started producing globes in the 1840's and continued operating for over 120 years! They had a reputation for the highest quality and were even contracted by other companies to produce their globes. The sphere has been a functional educational tool for over 120 years and does display a few visible blemishes as a result. The globe has received a thorough cleaning and removed all of the stains that you can see in the last photograph.  Additionally, there is a small "T" shaped crack just to the left of the cartouche, and a small slither of map has been cut away on the edge of one gore. Please see photos. Otherwise, the orb is very well preserved and the brass base is exceptional. Combining form and function, it is admired by the scientific mind as much as the artistic eye. Its an astounding piece! This artifact will ship well packed for $15.00 within Europe, $25.00 back to the US. SOLD $695 - Item #: 1116REIMCEL95