Accession No

1667

Brief Description

analemmatic dial, by Thomas Heath, English, 1730

Origin

England; London

Maker

Heath, Thomas

Class

dials

Earliest Date

1730

Latest Date

1730

Inscription Date

Material

metal (brass)

Dimensions

length 168mm; breadth 101mm

Special Collection

Fitzwilliam collection

Provenance

On loan from The Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge. From the Spencer George Percival Bequest, 1923.

Inscription

‘Tho: Heath Fecit’

Description Notes

Brass dial plate with hinge at the centre; one fixed and 2 levelling screw feet (screw feet missing; 31-1-2000). Standard inclining dial with hour scale divided IIII - XII, I - VIII (plus 20’ either end; 31-1-2000), numbered by I, subdivided to 15 minutes (subdivided to 5 minutes; 31-1-2000); folding openwork gnomon for 52˚ N, with hole for the suspension of a plumb bob (missing) to turn over a scale of latitudes divided [35˚] - 90˚, numbered by 10˚, subdivided to 1˚; compass rose with 16 points named. Leaf border and rose motif decoration between the hour scale and the compass. Horizontal azimuth dial with elliptical scale divided IIII - XII, I - VIII (plus 15’ either end; 31-1-2000), numbered by I, subdivided to 5 minutes; folding vertical gnomon moves in slot over scale of initialled months, subdivided to 5 days; also zodiac scale divided to 5˚ and declination scale divided [23˚ 30´] - Æ - [23˚ 30´], numbered by 10˚, subdivided to 1˚; also ‘Sun Setts’ scale and ‘Sun rises’ scale, both divided IIII - VIII, numbered by I, subdivided to 15 minutes. Edge of azimuth plate divided 90˚ - 0 - 90˚ twice, numbered by 10˚, subdivided to 1˚.

Condition: fair (holes in two corners of inclining dial plate); incomplete? (screw feet missing?).

References

Events