Accession No

2347

Brief Description

ring dial, 18th C

Origin

Maker

Class

dials

Earliest Date

1700

Latest Date

1800

Inscription Date

Material

metal (brass, steel)

Dimensions

diameter 34mm; thickness 11 mm

Special Collection

Provenance

Bequeathed by R.S. Newall, 01/1978.

Inscription

Description Notes

Brass ring dial. Fixed steel suspension loop with brass ring (steel suspension ring, 14-1-2000); sliding band with pinhole gnomon and index (?raised clasp joint, 14-1-2000). Date scale on outside divided to initialled month, subdivided to 10 days. Hour scale on inner face divided 4 - 12, 1 - 8 by 1.

Condition: fair.

References

Events

Description
Ring Dial

The ring dial is one of the oldest forms of portable sundial. It was probably developed by the Romans. It is also one of the simplest dials, and was often made very cheaply for the lower end of the market.

Ring dials tell the time from the height of the sun in the sky. They are generally not very accurate. They are used by moving the central band until the pin-hole is lined up against the correct date. After this, the dial is held up and turned until the sunlight falls through the pin-hole onto the hour scale on the other side of the ring. The small circle of light will show the hour, though it is left up to the user to work out whether to choose the morning or the afternoon reading.

FM:41405