Accession No

6245

Brief Description

surveying compass (a.k.a. mathematical compass), by Henry Sutton, English, 1661

Origin

England; London

Maker

Sutton, Henry

Class

mathematics; astronomy; magnetism

Earliest Date

1661

Latest Date

1661

Inscription Date

1661

Material

wood (mahogany); metal (brass, steel); paper

Dimensions

w: 125mm, l: 125mm, d: 24mm

Special Collection

Provenance

Purchased from Tesseract, P.O. Box 151, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, 10706, USA, on or before 12/01/2009. Tesseract catalogue 87, Winter 2008-9, no. 29.

Inscription

Henricus Sutton Londini fecit 1661

Description Notes

Surveying compass (a.k.a. mathematical compass), by Henry Sutton, 1661.

Square mahogany box with hinged lid; brass fittings. Compass card and brass degree circle inlaid and under glass. Both scales marked 0-360º, numbered to 10º, divided to 1º; the outer scale runs anticlockwise and the inner runs clockwise. Compass card has additional scales for the 256 points of the compass, and decorative pointers for mirrored “N, W, S, E”, subdivided to “NW” etc., “nnw” etc., and (unmarked) ‘nnnw’ etc. Inner conversion table runs from 1 (=006) to 39 (=244) and from 1 (=250) to 3 (750). This table converts perches, chains, and acres. Inscription to inner circles. Shaped compass needle.

Pasted to the underside of the box is a manuscript label headed ‘Astronomical Compass’ (torn illegible in parts).

References

Events