Accession No

0733

Brief Description

ring dial, by Jean Berquin, French, 1/4 18th Century

Origin

France; Bordeaux

Maker

Berquin, Jean

Class

dials

Earliest Date

1700

Latest Date

1725

Inscription Date

Material

metal (silver, gilt steel, blued steel, brass, white metal); wood; fishskin (shagreen); cloth (velvet)

Dimensions

box length 103mm; breadth 69mm; thickness 29mm

Special Collection

Robert Whipple collection

Provenance

Purchased from Gertrude Hamilton (trading as ’Mercator’), Paris, France, in 07/1933.

Inscription

‘J. Berquin a Bordeaux’

Description Notes

Silver ring with fixed suspension piece in gilt and blued-steel filigree work. Pair of pinhole gnomons. One the inner face, hour scale divided IIII - XII, I - VII and VI - XII, I - V, both numbered by I and subdivided by dots (irregularly). The hour scales set in 10 bands marked with the months according to the beginning of each zodiac sign.
Fitted wooden box covered with shagreen and lined with green velvet; white metal hinge, hook fasteners and push-button clasp.

Condition of box good

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:41410