Cycle of Life - Armillary Sphere
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Signs and Symbols
The 12 animal signs of the zodiac appear on the widest band, on another narrow band above are the names of the zodiac signs. The North Star sits at the top of the globe, with two griffins on each side. Griffins are mythical creatures, part eagle and part lion. A family group called "Cycle of Life" sits at the base of the sphere. Tiny turtles hold the whole thing up. Some Native American stories say the Earth was built on the back of the turtle. Manship was interested in Native American folk tales. He said this armillary sphere represented the "Cycle of Eternity" and the turtles are "emblems of eternity." Did you know that turtles can live to be more than 100 years old? Now that you've seen all the details, give this sphere a spin! (This requires Quicktime).
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