Accession No
1044
Brief Description
pocket horizontal dial, by Thomas Cave, Irish, 18th Century
Origin
Ireland; Dublin
Maker
Cave, Thomas
Class
dials
Earliest Date
1700
Latest Date
1800
Inscription Date
Material
metal (brass); glass; fishskin (shagreen); paper (card); cloth (velvet)
Dimensions
52 x 68 mm; d (compass) 21 mm; (box) bag length 130mm; breadth 80mm; thickness 25mm
Special Collection
Robert Whipple collection
Provenance
Donated by Robert S. Whipple, 1951. Purchased from the estate of T.H. Court, 1951.
Inscription
‘ThoS. Cave
Fecit’ (either side of gnomon)
Description Notes
Oval brass base plate. Hour circle divided IIII - XII, I - VIII, numbered by I, subdivided to 7.5 minutes. Acanthus leaf border and similar decoration on the 52˚ openwork folding gnomon. Emblematic sun at foot of gnomon. Inset compass, 8 point rose, fleur de lys for north.
Dial plate sits on base of compass box and a turned foot.
Shagreen-covered paper case lined with green velvet; brass hinge and hook fastener - very battered.
fair condition, chipped glass. Box in unacceptable condition.
References
Events
Description
The horizontal dial is the most common form of sundial. The portable version proved very popular with the upper classes during the 19th Century. During this period it could best be described as the wristwatch of its day.
The hour lines are engraved onto a horizontal surface, with a gnomon (pointer) in the centre. Seasonal variations (caused by the earth’s orbit being elliptical, not circular) have to be compensated for, as they can affect the raw reading by up to 18 minutes.
18/10/2002
Created by: Saffron Clackson and Boris Jardine on 18/10/2002
FM:39828
Images (Click to view full size):
