Celestial globe made by Willem Janszoon Blaeu, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1603.
The celestial globe is a three-dimensional model of the heavens on which the stars are plotted on the outside of a sphere. Originating in the Ancient World, this method of representation was probably inspired by the discovery that the Earth was round. The Dutch were the first to make printed globes in large numbers and introduced the distinctive four-legged globe stand. Celestial globes were used to teach astronomy and were paired with terrestrial globes which were used to teach geography.
