Limited Edition Grand Orrery by George Gyori

A limited edition grand Orrery, made by George Gyori, mounted on an ebonised wooden base surmounted by a circular brass plate engraved with signs of the Zodiac, months of the year and the four seasons, the central stepped and turned brass column surmounted by a brass sun, the geared arms supporting the planets and moons of earth's solar system, 52 cm high, 78 cm diameter, note, the grand orrery is a mechanical model powered by clockwork, that replicates the orbit of the planets of our solar system around the sun. The first modern orrery was produced in 1704. This contemporary example is made of brass and wood. Its baseplate is engraved with months, zodiac signs and the four seasons. The earliest known example of clockwork technology is the Greek made Antikythera mechanism from 87 BC. Records and mythology suggest many ancient cultures were familiar with clockwork mechanisms, but this knowledge was lost during the dark Ages. Technology with comparable complexity did not re-emerge in Europe until the 14th century., the present example is an astrological timepiece popularised during the age of Enlightenment. This intellectual movement dominated European culture in the 17th and 18th century. The Enlightenment emphasised reason and science over superstition and faith to an increasingly literate population. This drove the development and dissemination of scientific equipment like orreries., this particular orrery models the orbit of the earth and the outer planets around the sun. The earth completes a solar orbit every 365.256 days. In this journey the earth travels 940 million kilometres in a counter-clockwise direction at a speed of nearly 30 kilometres per second, or 67,000 miles per hour.