Accession No

2346

Brief Description

ring dial, by R. Callow, English, 18th Century

Origin

England

Maker

Callow, R.

Class

dials

Earliest Date

1700

Latest Date

1800

Inscription Date

Material

metal (bronze)

Dimensions

length 53mm; diameter 40mm; thickness 10mm

Special Collection

Provenance

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

Inscription

‘Redime Tempvs R. Callow fecit’

Description Notes

Fixed suspension loop and ring. Slit with sliding pinhole gnomon. Date scale around slit, divided to initialled month, subdivided to 10 days. Inner face of ring divided 1 - 6 and 6 - 12, subdivided to 15 minutes.

Condition: fair (sliding gnomon will not slide).

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:41414