Farnese Atlas [SEP] material used
Farnese Atlas
The Farnese Atlas is a 2nd-century Roman marble copy of a Hellenistic sculpture of Atlas kneeling with the celestial spheres, not a globe, weighing heavily on his shoulders. It is the oldest extant statue of the Titan of Greek mythology, who is represented in earlier vase-painting, and more important, the oldest known representation of the celestial sphere. The sculpture is at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, in Italy. It stands tall, and the globe is 65 cm in diameter.
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In the lower part there is a large conical depression which ends with a big rectangular hole maybe made to secure the base. Other theories for the sphere are that it was used for astronomical calculations, thus as an armillary sphere or for use in spherical astronomy.
See also.
- Farnese Atlas