Accession No

1740

Brief Description

pillar dial, by D. Stephan, Italian, 1572

Origin

Italy; Florence

Maker

Stephan, D.

Class

dials

Earliest Date

1572

Latest Date

1572

Inscription Date

1572

Material

ivory; metal (brass)

Dimensions

height 98mm; base diameter 28mm

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. 1935-94.

Inscription

‘D. STEPHAN FLO. M.M. F1572’

Description Notes

Ivory cylinder; turned finial broken off. Cylinder tapped to take 2 folding brass gnomons (one considerably longer than in usual). Calibrated in two ‘quarter-phase’ sinusoidal hour lines; winter month scales enlarged for use with a larger gnomon. Marked ‘HORAE VERIS ETAESTATIS’ divided 9 - 16 in red 17 - 23 in black, numbered by 1; with summer months marked in Latin and divided to 5 days. ‘AEQUATOR’ marked. ‘AVTVMNI ET HYEMIS’ and 13 - 19 in red, 20 - 23 in black numbered by 1 for winter months with months marked in Latin and subdivided to 5 days. Zodiac signs at the foot (1st Aries = March 10). Also marked ‘LINEAE RUBEAE ANTE MERIDIEM NIGRAE VERO POST’.

References

Events