Floor World Globe
20th Century Globes
Wood
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Globes
Brass
Vintage 1960s American Arts and Crafts Globes
Brass
Early 20th Century American Victorian Globes
Brass
Recent Sales
Vintage 1960s American Arts and Crafts Architectural Models
Rock Crystal
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Maps
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Globes
Mahogany, Paper
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Globes
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Globes
Steel
Late 20th Century American Floor Lamps
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Globes
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Globes
Metal
Vintage 1960s German French Provincial Floor Lamps
Brass
20th Century American Maps
Wood, Paper
20th Century English Other Maps
Brass
Mid-20th Century Globes
Cherry, Paper
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Globes
Brass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Globes
20th Century American More Furniture and Collectibles
Brass
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Globes
Brass
Vintage 1940s American Schoolhouse Globes
Metal
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary American Bohemian Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile
2010s Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
2010s British Scandinavian Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Oak, Mohair, Velvet
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Egyptian Egyptian Figurative Sculptures
Limestone
Antique Mid-19th Century English High Victorian Taxidermy
Other
20th Century American Scientific Instruments
Metal, Brass
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Globes
Brass
2010s Italian Wardrobes and Armoires
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Globes
Lucite
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Globes
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Globes
Metal, Brass
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Maps
Brass
Vintage 1970s American Globes
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Globes
Metal
Mid-20th Century North American Industrial Globes
Steel
Floor World Globe For Sale on 1stDibs
Finding the Right Globes for You
Antique and vintage globes can prove unique and interesting accents to your living space, whether on their own as provocative conversation pieces or part of a small collection dotting the shelves where your sculptures and other decorative objects live.
Globes are among the most ancient of scientific instruments. During the Age of Exploration, they were vital for navigation, bringing sailors home after perilous journeys on different trade routes. Globes didn’t just detail continental formations, they might also show astronomical positions — adventurous seafarers of the day would rely on stars’ positions in traveling the great waters ahead of them. Antique globes offer a glimpse into specific time periods and how peoples of the past navigated the world around them. These were tools that identified a region’s borders, the names of countries, territories and more as the Earth’s geography was once known or imagined. As information about a place became available to geographers over time, globes became more accurate.
Not all globes depict the Earth and its countries, landmasses and bodies of water. The models that do are known as terrestrial globes, while globes that detail the position of the stars and other heavenly bodies are called celestial globes.
Quite surprisingly, the construction of globes remains relatively unchanged from the 16th century. The base starts as two papier-mâché hemispheres, which have a wooden support pillar attached via the north and south poles. The hemispheres are joined with glue or sewn with string and are subsequently topped with more paper or even thin fabric. Lastly, the globe is covered with plaster, ready for the design to be pasted on top.
Perhaps even more surprising is that the decorative function of globes has not changed much since the 16th century. They’ve been given as gifts for hundreds of years, as globes have always been beautiful objects whether they’re in your home office or your living room, lining your mantel alongside other globes of different sizes. Recent globe designs offer modern variations in style and features, such as interior lighting, automatic rotation and more.
Today, vintage trunks and luggage have reappeared as furniture or decorative home accents in a bedroom or foyer. This likely owes to wanderlust, nostalgia and a shared love of good design. Decorating with globes is similarly rooted in the allure of travel and a penchant for the stylish finishing touch that collectibles bring to our homes. Antique globes add welcome doses of color and contrast to a house or apartment’s neutral corners, their sea blues and algae greens popping against reclaimed wood interiors or stone fireplaces.
On 1stDibs, you can find a collection of authentic antique and vintage globes including mid-century modern, Georgian, Art Deco editions and more.
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