Sphere
by MAGGIORE, Giovanni Ambrogio, Ebony and ivory, painted on the inside, height 38 cm
This ebony and ivory sphere was made on the lathe by the Milanese court turner Giovanni Ambrogio Maggiore, who trained, among others, Duke Wilhelm of Bavaria in this courtly pastime. The process of lathing requires great technical brilliance and knowledge of geometry and mechanics.
This sphere is the first one of the so-called counterfeit spheres, consisting of multiple hollow spheres of diminishing size, all made of a single solid ball. The various spheres can be moved independently of each other by pulling on the attached strings. Inside are painted miniature portraits of Duke Wilhelm of Bavaria and his family.