Accession No

0338

Brief Description

magnetic azimuth dial, French, 3/4 17th Century

Origin

France; Dieppe

Maker

Class

dials

Earliest Date

1650

Latest Date

1675

Inscription Date

Material

organic (tortoiseshell); metal (brass, silvered brass, pewter); glass; paper

Dimensions

Special Collection

Robert Whipple collection

Provenance

Purchased by Robert Stewart Whipple from Antique Art Galleries, London, on 03/08/1927.

Inscription

Description Notes

Magnetic azimuth dial, French, 3/4 17th C.

Tortoiseshell tablets held together by brass hinges.
Leaf Ia: equinoctial dial divided 1 - 12, 1 - 12, numbered by 1, subdivided to 30 minutes. Pin gnomon missing.
Leaf Ib: southern half of equinoctial dial divided as before, with central silvered brass lunar volvelle divided 1 - 30, numbered by 1. Latitude scale on RHS divided 0 - 90˚, numbered by 10˚, subdivided to 5˚.
Leaf IIa: horizontal dial with hour scale divided VI - XII, I - VI, numbered by I. Inset compass with hand-coloured paper card; degree scale divided 0 - 90˚ - 0 - 90˚ - 0, numbered by 10˚ (error in Western quadrant); cardinal points marked in French; table of towns and latitudes (see history file); elliptical pewter hour scale divided V - XII, I - VII, numbered by I. Brass latitude arm in RHS.
Leaf IIb: Brass calendar plate rotating to adjust the elliptical hour scale (possibly once silvered).

fair condition
pointer missing

References

Events