Accession No

0465

Brief Description

lunarium in card, by Nicholas Bion, French, 1680

Origin

France; Paris

Maker

Bion, Nicholas

Class

astronomy; demonstration

Earliest Date

1680

Latest Date

1680

Inscription Date

1680

Material

paper (card, cardboard, paper); metal (brass)

Dimensions

diameter 355mm; length 375mm

Special Collection

Robert Whipple collection

Provenance

Inscription

(inner dial top) ‘EPOQUES DES ANNES LUNAIRES’

Description Notes

Lunarium in card, by Nicholas Bion, French, 1680.
Consists of three circles of card one on top of the other and getting progressively smaller. Held by a brass pin and nut in the centre, that also holds the pointer of brass. Outer circle represents the months of the year, this though spirals inward from the outside edge to the edge of the second circle, from february to march (inner). The second circle has a block of 4 numbers that increase by 45 at each stage, for example 1, 46, 91, 139, the next block starts at 2 and increases by 45 (2, 47, 92, 137) then starts at 3 etc until the number 45 starts a set but only of three numbers 45, 90, 135 to complete the full circle. On this same plate hidden by the final inner circle are two sets of a black and red shape one above the other. The final circle has on its rim sections divided in to 30 going up in 5’s this marks out the full moons at every 30 days.then further in are the new moons. All are represented by circles cut from the card. Written in the centre of the whole piece are the dates for annes lunaires and annes soliares starting in 1680 and ending in 1854.

References

Events