Glass apple

Made:: 2016-2017

maker:: Intel Corporation and Amlong Crystal

Glass apple, in fabric presentation box, made by Amlong Crystal and painted in green, blue, yellow, and red spots to represent the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation map of the universe. Presented to Stephen Hawking by Intel on his 75th birthday.

Details

Category:: Stephen Hawking Office

Collection:: Stephen Hawking’s Office

Object Number:: 2021-561/18

Materials:: glass, acrylic paint, silk and textile

Measurements:: overall: 94 mm x 117 mm x 115 mm,

type:: ornament

credit:: Accepted in lieu of Inheritance Tax by H M Government from the Estate of Stephen Hawking and allocated to the Science Museum, 2021

Cite this page

Rights

We encourage the use and reuse of our collection data.

Data in the title, made, maker and details fields are released under Creative Commons Zero . Descriptions and all other text content are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence

Using our data

Download

Download catalogue entry as json

Download manifest IIIF

Our records are constantly being enhanced and improved, but please note that we cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information shown on this website.

Parts

Glass Apple

Glass apple made by Amlong Crystal and painted in green, blue, yellow, and red spots to represent the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation map of the universe. Presented to Stephen Hawking by Intel on his 75th birthday.

The hand-painted pattern on this glass apple was inspired by a map of the ‘microwave background’, the afterglow from the big bang which still fills the universe. Hawking called this pattern the ‘fingerprints of creation’.

The apple was a 75th birthday gift from Intel, Hawking’s collaborator on communications software and scientific visualisations. Its shape is a nod to Isaac Newton, who formulated the first laws of gravity.

Measurements:: overall: 71 mm 82 mm, .52 kg

Materials:: glass and acrylic paint

Object Number:: 2021-561/18/1

type:: ornament

Fabric presentation box with moulded silk lining

Fabric presentation box with moulded silk lining, made by Amlong Crystal to hold a glass apple painted with the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation map of the universe which was presented to Stephen Hawking by Intel on his 75th birthday.