The
Heavens -The celestial globe is an invitation to travel through the sky
amidst the constellations such as they were on the day of the birth of
Louis XIV.
The Zodiac
The Sun and its planets move in the opposite direction, from West to East. This course, called the ecliptic, is materialised on the globe by a sun sliding on a large circular bronze bar. Thus, over the seasons, its trajectory crosses the various constellations of the Zodiac.
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| Aries |
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| The Sun sliding on Sagittarius |
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|
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| Capricorn |
The Figures
The very special style of the figures or the constellations, painted in different shades of blue, is attributed to Jean-Baptiste Corneille. The name of each constellation is written in four languages: French, Latin, Greek and Arabic.
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| An Angel |
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| Le Chartier |
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| The Arrow, the Eagle and the Dauphin |
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| The Balance |
An Unusual Placement
The unusual placement of the constellations, with the characters full-face, transforms the perspective of the observer. The heavens are seen from the outside, although the Earth is supposed to be at the centre of the globe.
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| The Indian, the crane and the Fish |
