Accession No

0991

Brief Description

square and folding rule, by Michael Butterfield, French, 1700 (c)

Origin

France; Paris

Maker

Butterfield, Michael

Class

drawing

Earliest Date

1700

Latest Date

1700

Inscription Date

Material

metal (brass)

Dimensions

length 174mm; width 24mm; thickness 3mm

Special Collection

Provenance

Inscription

‘Butterfield AParis’

Description Notes

Engraved hinge and shoulders. Cross brace. Suspension point for plumb bob in hinge. Edges of limbs bevelled for use as level. Recto graduated one limb [0] - 6 to 1 and [0] - 1 only to 12 by 3 to 1. Other limb [0] - 6 to 1 and 5 - 6 only to 12 by 3 to 1. Verso graduated identically to recto. Scales marked ‘Pied de Roy’.

Condition: good/fair.

References

Events

Description
Scale Rule
A straight rule with a scale engraved along the length is the simplest instrument for making linear measurements, and has been used since antiquity. However, scale rules were not commonly used for making scale drawings until around 1550 in Northern Europe. Anthropomorphic dimensions such as the foot were commonly used for the scale.

Scale rules can be straight or folding and often have even scales on one side and diagonal scales on the other, which enable the user to divide any measurement into 100 parts. They were often decorated by the maker, demonstrating artistic as well as mathematical skills (although they became more purely functional from mid 18th century). They were usually made of brass, silver, ivory or boxwood.

FM:43670