Photo by David Friend Productions, San Diego, California
ITALIAN 8-PLANET ORRERY by INGre. E. CANZIANI & Co.
03-009. Italian, late 4th quarter 19th century, signed on a large brass plate "INGre. E. CANZIANI & Co., GENOVA." Made of wrought iron & brass and standing 42" high overall on its 15" x 15" x 12 1/2" painted wood base. The base has an 11" diameter brass plate on top, showing the seasons, zodiac signs & months, with a heavy threaded fitting in the center to hold the orrery mounting rod. The mounting rod is 28" tall overall, with eight wrought iron planetary arms (ranging for 3" long for Mercury to 24 1/2" long for Neptune), each ending in a holder for the vertical rods that carry the wooden planets. The rod carrying the earth and its moon has a small pulley at the bottom which matches a larger pulley on the central rod. A brass oil lamp representing the sun is mounted atop the central rod. This unusually large and very attractive orrery is in good overall condition, noting some restoration work to the wood base and one arm.
