In recent years, with the international art market to heat up, antique scientific instruments of rising prices. In particular, the British possession of home, these precision instruments, functional, beautiful appearance and historical value, are full of temptations.
In fact, as early as the mid-18th century, all kinds of medical, brass fitting optical and navigational equipment on the upper reaches of society in much of Western pop, be regarded as a symbol of status and education. So far, we still can in many of the portraits in the 18th century, see the shadow of scientific instruments. For example, U.S. painter Ke Puli (John Singleton Copley) 1773 as the Harvard professor John Wen Si Luopu (John Winthrop) painting by the famous portrait, professor of holding hands on a telescope from the famous London manufacturers Zhanmusishu Stuart (James Short) made brass telescope.
Today, these scientific instruments will no longer be the incarnation of the latest technology, they become a Western tradition in the study displayed an indispensable part. Those 17 to 19 of the apparatus, now in the possession of the most-touted, in particular the globe and the celestial sphere instrument, in the past 20 years, was up four times.
This beautiful and atmospheric equipment, as early as brass fitting Elizabeth I rule (that is, between 1558 ~ 1603), swept the whole of Europe, so manufacturers of the Netherlands earned a tough one. Today, their prices are still strong. A 18th century created the globe, regardless of size, as long as the integrity of the goods, but also the normal rotation, will be able to sell 8,000 to 10,000 pounds of high prices. In January this year, the United Kingdom Bao-long auction, there is one from King George III of the silks produced by the artisans globe, sold the 9,000 pounds, more than double the valuation. And 1991, a 1579 gold-plated brass of the globe are still sold in the United Kingdom Christie of the 1 million pounds of Tian Jia.
Although the collection of scientific instruments is not large groups, but many of them enthusiastic collector. For example, a grid called Qiao Qi Li Qi Li grid and Barbara (Joe and Barbara Zelig) doctor and his wife, they collect a wide variety of specialized microscope. This is not just because of personal preferences, but also look microscope in the United Kingdom and the whole European market.
Now the microscope prices getting higher and higher. 1999, a 17th-century France by the Duke of Xiaona the microscope, sold at Christie's for 991,500 pounds of the historical record. The ordinary antique microscope, the price is low. Christie's experts in the James Xisiluopu (James Hyslop), a 18th century produced the microscope, as long as the blot engraved with the manufacturer, will be able to sell 3,000 pounds, even without blot, can get 500 pounds. Qi Li and his wife by the grid of the oldest a microscope, invented by the tripod microscope Peipu (Edmund Culpeper) in the 1930s created the 18th century. It is not only well-produced, but also the convergence of wood, copper, gold, green leather and other materials, appearance is extremely extravagant. In 2005, the couple sold on eBay in Taiwan this microscope, with prices as high as 14,500 U.S. dollars, the price of a comparable modern microscope has 100 brass fitting times higher than the price.