Accession No

0781

Brief Description

mechanical universal equinoctial dial, by Johan Simon Lubach, Austrian, 18th Century, or possible 19th or 20th Century fake

Origin

Austria

Maker

Lubach, Johann Simon [or fake]

Class

dials

Earliest Date

1730

Latest Date

1770

Inscription Date

Material

metal (brass, steel); glass

Dimensions

height 128mm; length 190mm; breadth 128mm

Special Collection

Robert Whipple collection

Provenance

Purchased by Robert Stewart Whipple from Antique Art Galleries, Grafton Street, London, England, in 05/1935. In 1955 Derek de Sola Price, as part of his research into possible fakes in the Whipple collection, wrote to Antique Art Galleries asking them to provide details of this object and others’ provenance. Their reply indicated that they had “No idea where [this] came from.” [see OHF for Wh.0365 for copy of letter].

Inscription

‘Johan Simon Lubach fec.’

Description Notes

Mechanical universal equinoctial dial by Johan Simon Lubach, Austrian, C18th (or possible early C20th fake).

Rectangular brass base plate with lug supporting latitude quadrant with pinhole and target sights on index arm (?); set on 3 levelling screws with shaped heads. Inset compass in base plate with cardinal points and marked for magnetic variation at 10˚ W of N. Dial plate set on latitude quadrant divided [0] - 90˚, numbered by 10˚, divided to 1˚. Hour circle divided I - XII, I - XII, numbered by I, divided to 15 minutes, (with vernier reading to 1 minute (?); 3-2-2000). Calendar disc set above it divided to named month; days numbered by 10, divided to 1. Index with pinhole gnomon and target sights moves over calendar disc.

Incomplete

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

References

Events