Although the globe and the imprint of the seas and continents on it are commonplace today, a look at the history of the instrument shows that it was traditionally considered rare and the bearer of new and important knowledge. From antiquity and at least until the late Renaissance, the observation and performance of the heavenly bodies, including of course the Earth, was a high stake, while the possession of a globe was proof of wealth, power and wisdom. Astronomy, geography and cartography were ranked among the highest sciences. It is enough to recall the famous painting The Savior of the World (Salvator Mundi) by Leonardo da Vinci, where Christ holds the globe in his hands, or the numerous depictions of the same type of the Queen of England, and of course the nested representations on maps of early modernity and colonialism (see map exhibit). The importance of the instrument is not certified by the fact that it was a gift from nobles to kings, etc.

During the late 18th century and throughout the 19th, globes begin to be mass-produced, always in proportion, and widely circulated. Typical is the example of John and William Cary (John & William Cary) of London, whose bullets, even in a pocket edition, reached India and other regions of the world. The discovery of new areas, the better mapping of already known ones, but also the detailed mapping of the celestial sphere, a necessary tool for shipping, made spheres popular.

Here is a 19th century globe of exceptional craftsmanship, from the workshop of John and William Carey. The amount of information it provides and the accuracy of engraving continue to impress, transporting the modern user to the age of discovery!