Gilded Silver Armillary Sphere
Among Chinese emperors of all dynasties, Kangxi was remembered for his commitment to systematically studying Western knowledge of various disciplines such as astronomy, geography, mathematics, and medicine. He also led and promoted many large-scale scientific activities, making great contributions to the Sino-European exchange in science, technology, and culture.
The gilded silver armillary sphere was a teaching instrument used by Emperor Kangxi to study astronomy, indicating that Qing-dynasty nobles began to accept and absorb exotic cultures.
The instrument on a red sandalwood base consists of three sets of rings, one inside another. Those on the outside are the horizontal, meridian, and celestial equator rings.
The inscriptions on the rings indicate that it was made by Ferdinand Verbiest in 1669, the eighth year of the Kangxi reign. A missionary from Belgium, Verbiest served the Qing royal court for 28 years, taking responsibility for work like astronomical observation, calendar formulation, weapon improvement, and machine design. He also acted as a science teacher for Emperor Kangxi.
The innermost ring set of the armillary sphere stands for the earth, which carries the names of continents such as Asia, Europe, and Americas. The instrument can imitate solar and lunar eclipses and show a scene of the sun and moon revolving around the earth, indicating that it is an astronomical instrument based on geocentrism.
Back then, the Kangxi reign had just witnessed a debate between old and new calendars. The emergence of the instrument played a positive role in re-application of the Western calendar and improvements of astrological instruments in China.
银镀金浑天仪
在中国历代帝王中，康熙是系统认真学习过西方天文、地理、数学、医药等各种学科的帝王，而且还主持推动了多项大规模的科学活动，对中西科技文化交流做出了巨大贡献。
银镀金浑天仪是康熙皇帝学习天文知识时所用的教具，象征着清代贵族阶层对外来文化的接纳与融合。仪器被放置在紫檀木底座中，有三层银镀金圈环，外层是地平圈、子午圈、赤道圈，圈上刻字显示康熙八年（1669）南怀仁制作。南怀仁是比利时人，曾为清代宫廷服务28年，负责天文观测、制定历法、改良武器、设计机械等工作，还担任过康熙皇帝的科学教师。
银镀金浑天仪最中间为地球，地球上还标注了亚洲、欧洲、美洲等大洲当时的名称。仪器可以演示日食与月食现象，表现太阳、月亮围绕地球转动的情景，说明这是一件以地心说为基础的天文演示仪器。对于刚刚结束新旧历法之争的康熙朝，其在再度应用西洋历法、改进中国测天仪器等方面，都起了积极的作用。
