Accession No

1764

Brief Description

gunter quadrant, brass, by Elias Allen, English, second quarter 17th century

Origin

England; London; The Strand

Maker

Allen, Elias

Class

dials

Earliest Date

1625

Latest Date

1650

Inscription Date

Material

metal (brass)

Dimensions

radius 90 mm

Special Collection

Holden-White collection

Provenance

On loan from The Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge. Donated by Charles Holden-White to the Fitzwilliam Museum. C. Holden-White collection no. 1935-118.

Inscription

‘Elias Allen fecit’ (obverse)

Description Notes

Gunter quadrant, brass, by Elias Allen, English, second quarter 17th century.

Brass Gunter quadrant with pinhole sights on right hand side of face.
Obverse: projection for 52˚ N. Date scale divided to named month and subdivided to 5 days (1st Aries at March 10). Ecliptic arc divided to zodiac sign and subdivided to 1˚. Declination scale divided [0] - [23˚ 30´], numbered by 10˚, subdivided to 1˚. Curved hour lines divided 6 - 12, 1 - 6 (summer) and to 5 for winter; half-hour lines also marked. Curved azimuth lines divided [0] - 120˚, for every 10˚. Five stars plotted on the projection (see history file). Circumference degree scale divided [0] - 90˚, numbered by 10˚, subdivided to 30´. Geometric square in upper part of quadrant divided [0] - 10 - [0], numbered by 1, subdivided to 0.2.
Reverse: fixed hour circle divided 1 - 12, 1 - 12, numbered by 1, subdivided to 15 minutes. Rotatable disc with date scale divided to named month, numbered by 10 and subdivided to 1 day; five cicumpolar constellations depicted with their stars marked.
good condition

References

Events