Ostrich Egg Globe
The Ostrich Egg Globe is an Italian Renaissance object of historical importance. It dates from about 1504 and is the first known globe to depict the New World (with North America only shown as small islands). It is the prototype for the Hunt–Lenox Globe, a red copper cast. Description. The hollow globe is made from the conjoined lower halves of two ostrich eggs. The globe's twin, the Hunt–Lenox Globe (at the New York Public Library), is a cast made of red copper representing the Earth in the center of an armillary sphere. Both globes  feature the ominous phrase "Here be dragons." Provenance. The globe was offered for sale in 2012 at the London Map Fair held at the Royal Geographical Society. Its similarity to the Lenox Globe was confirmed by the former president of the Coronelli Society, Professor Rudolf Schmidt, and confirmed by art expert Archduke Dr. Géza von Habsburg in 2013. The owner of the globe, Stefaan Missinne, has written a book that argues that the globe was made by Leonardo da Vinci, citing writings by Leonardo indicating a similar approach to making globe gores. Cartographer Wouter Bracke states that Missine's book  should be considered "a report on the author's research into the globe and [not] a final scientific and academic publication", and that Cambridge Scholars Publishing's lack of editorial board "clearly failed to guide the author in the preparation of his publication". Ultimately, Bracke states that more research is needed to conclude the question of the globe's provenance. References. Footnotes Citations