Constellation card, Urania's mirror, Sagittarius and Corona Australis
Constellation card, Urania's mirror, Sagittarius and Corona Australis
Constellation playing cards called 'Urania's mirror'. Set of 32 cards and one chart of the heavens for the latitude of London. The cards are hand coloured and show the contellations. Each star is pricked out in the centre, and due to the tissue paper backing, the light shines though when the card is held up. Each card shows a painted figure or animal, as well as the four compass points and the names of the important stars. Under the blanket of night, stars appear like a jumble of pinpricks of light. Held up to the light, they give a realistic representation of the constellation patterns, corresponding to the size and magnitudes of the brightest stars and guiding the novice astronomer around the night sky. From the most ancient times civilisations have given names and mythologies to conspicuous patterns of bright stars to help make the sky seem more familiar. The cards were developed in the early 19th century as an educational tool. All cards and charts are kept in a box lined with yellow paper and decorated and painted on the outside.
Sidney Hall
- Image reference: F8814-002
- National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Discover more
More by this artist
Explore the collections
Search for similar images
Product images of Constellation card, Urania's mirror, Sagittarius and Corona Australis
Our prints
We use a 240gsm fine art paper and premium branded inks to create the perfect reproduction.
Our expertise and use of high-quality materials means that our print colours are independently verified to last between 100 and 200 years.
Read more about our fine art prints.
Manufactured in the UK
All products are printed in the UK, using the latest digital presses and a giclée printmaking process.
We only use premium branded inks, and colours are independently verified to last between 100 and 200 years.
Delivery & returns
We print everything to order so delivery times may vary but all unframed prints are despatched within 2-4 days via courier or recorded mail.
Due to the coronovirus pandemic and Brexit situation, current shipping times may be longer, particularly for destinations outside the UK.
Delivery to the UK is £5 for an unframed print of any size.
We will happily replace your order if everything isn’t 100% perfect.
