Armillary spheres are models of the celestial sphere, a representation of the heavens as seen from the Earth. While some large and early examples could be used for observation, measurement and calculation, they were more commonly used as teaching aids and enjoyed for their ornamental qualities. As is typical, the Earth is shown in the centre, with the celestial equator and tropics and the path of the Sun's apparent motion (the ecliptic) depicted by eight surrounding brass rings. More unusually, however, one can demonstrate either the Ptolemaic world system by turning the primary sphere and keeping the terrestrial sphere fixed, or the Copernican world system by keeping the primary sphere fixed and turning the Earth.

The whole is mounted on a tripod stand that has a compass set in the base and an adjustable inclination and gearing that allows the earth and sphere to move independently. With this armillary sphere, the adjustable horizon disc, made of silvered brass, bears a degree scale, eight compass points and the inscription 'C. Lincoln/ LONDON'. On the terrestrial globe, the tropics are labelled and the equator is graduated both for degrees and for hours. The equator and ecliptic are both graduated into degrees and also into hours and calendar and zodiacal scales respectively. On the terrestrial sphere, the regions between the tropics are hatched and show the trade winds by arrows. There is a compass rose west of Australia, and a total of nine oceans are named.