Accession No

0563

Brief Description

sine/cosine geographical calculator, purportedly by Erasmus Habermehl, 1580, but actually a c. 1915 fake

Origin

Netherlands; Amsterdam [possible, see Price 1956]

Maker

fake, unknown maker Habermehl, Erasmus [purported]

Class

calculating; cartography

Earliest Date

1911

Latest Date

1925

Inscription Date

Material

metal (electroplated gilt copper)

Dimensions

length 95mm; breadth 75mm

Special Collection

Robert Whipple collection

Provenance

Purchased by Robert Stewart Whipple from Gertrude Hamilton (trading as 'Mercator') in Paris, France on 28/10/1929. Whipple’s accessions register entry reads: ‘from the Strozzi collection. see catalogue of sale pub. F.Muller and Co. Amsterdam Nov. 1911, p.22, no. 358’. However, research by Derek Price (see ‘Object reading’) exposed this object as a faked copy of the original sold in 1911, the original now residing in the collection of the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon, Dresden.

Inscription

‘Erasmus Habermel Fecit 1580 ‘ (bottom right of verso)
‘FRANCISCI DE PADOANIS FOROLIVIENSIS’ (verso)

Description Notes

sine/cosine geographical calculator, fake, c. 1920 (purports to be by Erasmus Habermehl, 1580). (Original in collection of Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon, Dresden).

Rectangular gilt-copper engraved plate. Obverse: Concentric circular scales, outer two are a calculator of the length of day and night and are marked ‘Longitudo Diei Æstiua’, ‘Longitudo Diei hyberna’, ‘Longitudo noctis hyberna’, and ‘Longitudo noctis Æstiua’. Outer of these two circles marked with signs of the zodiac, inner with hours divided 8 - 16 numbered by 1. Within this a degree scale divided [0] - 360 numbered by 10 subdivided to 2. Innermost scale is an hour scale divided 1 - 12, 1 - 12 numbered by 1 subdivided to 15’. Central rotatable disc carries engraved map of the world and 2 opposed indexes with sun and moon symbols. Disc marked ‘Ambitus Orbis Terrarum Est 5400 Mil Germanicorum’. Centre plate also marked ‘Horae Diurnae’ and ‘Horae Nocturnae’.
Reverse: Engraved quadrant arc divided [0] - 90 numbered by 10 subdivided to 1, and a scale along the base similarly divided. Cursor moves across plate divided [0] - 90 numbered by 10; 0-80 subdivided to 1. Table down right hand side of ‘Gradus 1 Facit 15 mil Germ’ with conversions from degrees to miles for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 degrees and then every 5 degrees to 90. Decorative engraving in remaining spaces.

Condition good; complete

[NOTE: On 15/04/2015 XRF analysis was conducted on this instrument. Results and analysis are given in the ‘Notes’ field.]

References

Events