A lot of know-how goes into making a globe, but more than anything else, patience and time are essential...

Two fine plaster half-spheres are moulded with a jute fabric to obtain a composite of high stability and excellent resistance, then assembled and sanded until a perfectly spherical surface is obtained.

The planisphere is edited on a mapping software in order to integrate the desired geographical information then cut into rectangular areas. The resulting files are then converted into almond-shaped gores to fit the sphere.

Each gore is then customized and published into individual maps: with the desired style and personalizations.

All the gores are then printed on acid-free paper specially chosen for its preservation characteristics and its ability to deform when applied to the sphere. The black ink used is based on pigments, thus guaranteeing long life.

Then comes the coloring of the maps with watercolor: It is a crucial and very meticulous step in order to obtain a perfect rendering once the globe is made. Many layers are necessary to obtain nuance and depth of the globe. The watercolours used come only from the best suppliers, such as Sennelier Extra Fine, Old Holland or Winsor and Newton.

The gores are then cut and glued to the sphere: They must deform so as to fit the sphere, without tearing or wrinkling. This is the most difficult step because the slightest error during gluing can result in the loss of several days of work.

The globe, after drying, receives several coats of protective varnish. The final step is the installation of the gold leaf decorations around the poles and on the equator...

Our bases benefit from our unique sliding insert system allowing effortless 360° rotation in almost complete silence.

The name of the support Calender is inspired by the cylindrical shape of the rolls used in the paper mills, formerly abundant on the banks of the Charente, the river crossing Cognac :

Calendering uses cylinders to press the paper to make the surface of a paper thinner and softer. OrbisTerrae also uses rollers in order to obtain the most imperceptible superposition of the paper gores and thus obtain the most perfect sphere.

Calender supports on machined in a block of 3 beech plies to ensure great strength and stability. The outer side is customizable with different wood species.

Calender supports are machined in a block of 3 beech plies to ensure great strength and stability. The outer side is customizable with different wood veneers.