Accession No

0688

Brief Description

ring dial, by J. K. Landeck, German, 2/2 17th Century

Origin

Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation [now Germany]; Nürnberg

Maker

Landeck, J. K.

Class

dials

Earliest Date

1650

Latest Date

1700

Inscription Date

Material

metal (brass)

Dimensions

length 47mm; diameter 40mm; thickness 15mm

Special Collection

Robert Whipple collection

Provenance

Purchased from F.C. Dannot, Paris, France, in 1933.

Inscription

‘I.K.L.’ (inner face)

Description Notes

Brass ring with fixed suspension loop; adjustable for latitude; shoulders marked 45/45 and 49/49 with 5 calibration marks on the edge. Index mark on the ring. Single pinhole gnomon set in a sliding ring with raised joint. On the outer face of the ring a date scale divided to initialled month, subdivided to 10 days. On the inner face hour scale divided 4 - 12, 1 - 8, numbered by 1, subdivided to 30 minutes; also on inner face, adjacent to gnomon slit, a scale of latitudes ‘EP. 45 46 47 48 49’ [Pinhole at 48 when set at March 20 - 1st Aries].

Condition: fair (sliding ring very stiff).

References

Events

Description
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:41416