Klinger, Johann Georg, 1790-1825

A fine 12 inch (30,5cm) diameter (total height 21,5 inch or 54cm) celestial table globe made up of twelve hand-coloured engraved gores and two polar calottes laid to the ecliptic poles, the equatorial graduated in degrees, the ecliptic graduated in the days of the houses of the zodiac with symbols, a cartouche reading ‘Der Himmel, Verlag der J.G. Klinger’schen Kunsthandlung in Nurnberg’. The constellations depicted by mythical beasts, figures and scientific instruments and delicately hand-coloured with several shades and labelled in Latin and German, the stars to six ordes of magnitude, with nebulae, and labelled with Greek letters, a note next to Andromeda reading Gloria Frederici II^di Regis Borussorum (some old surface abrasions and rubbing), the axis through the celestial poles, with engraved brass meridian circle and hour dial, the octagonal fruit wooden  horizon with delicately hand-coloured engraved with pictorial representations of the houses of the Zodiac, days of the month and graduations in degrees, with wind directions in German, raised on four fruitwood quadrant supports on octagonal fruitwood pillar and stand. Compass is missing. (Christie’s South Kensington) 

By the end of the eighteen century the main producer of globes for the domestic market had become the Nuremberg publisher, art dealer and engraver Johann Georg Klinger (1764-1806). He was also the last great globe producer in Nuremberg. Johan Georg Klinger published various globes from 1790. His first pair of globes had a diameter of 12 1/2 inch (32cm) and was in Latin, and these were later followed by smaller globes. The celestial globe of 1790 is based on observations made by the French astronomer Charles Messier (1730-1817). An interesting addition is the note by the constellation Auriga concerning the discovery of the planet Uranus by William Herschel on 13 March 1781. In honour of this discovery, Maximillian Hell placed Herschel’s large and small telescopes between the constellations (1789) and these are also shown on Klinger’s celestial globe.

Various globes from Nuremberg were engraved by members of the Bauer family. The father, Johann Bernard Bauer (1752-1839) worked on, for instance, the large pair of globes produced by J.G. Klinger. His younger son, Peter Bauer (1783-1847) worked for Klinger’s Kunsthandlung.

After the death of Johann Georg Klinger, his widow continued to run his firm under the name ‘J.G. Klinger’sche Kunsthandlung’. In 1831, the company was bought by Johann Paul Dreykorn (1805-75), who continued to run it under the same name. The merchant Carl Abel, who joined the company in 1852, was less modest; from this time onwards, the publisher’s name on the globes was given as ‘C. Abel Klinger Kunsthandlung’. Globes with this name were made until the beginning of the 20th century. Globes from the western world, Elly Dekker and Peter van der Krogt.

The age of the globe: The gores of this globe are exact the same ones as used on J.G. Klinger’s celestial globe of 1790. Also Herschel’s large and small telescopes between the constellations (1789) are also shown on this Klinger’s celestial globe. A newer cartouche is probably placed over the old one (a small part of the old cartouche can still be seen). Klinger’s celestial globe of 1790 was in Latin. This globe has the original Latin text as well as German text added (to the original gores). On the cartouche it says Klinger’sche Kunsthandlung, so after 1806, and the name of Abel is not mentioned so before 1852. Altogether one can conclude that this celestial globe partially dates from 1790 (engraved brass meridian circle and hour dial at the north pole, the original gores) with additions which dates from about 1825 (the cartouche, German text by the constellations, octagonal fruitwood pillar and stand).

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