Accession No

1741

Brief Description

pillar dial, Italian, 1542

Origin

Italy

Maker

Class

dials

Earliest Date

1542

Latest Date

1542

Inscription Date

1542

Material

ivory; metal (silver); rope (string)

Dimensions

height 131mm; base diameter 26mm

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. 1935-95.

Inscription

‘M.D.XL. II’

Description Notes

Ivory with turned finial tapped to take twine suspension loop. Cylinder tapped to take folding silver gnomon. Calibrated with ‘half-phase’ near sine lines for Italian hours, 9 - 16 in red, 1/2, 17 - 23 in black and 16 - 19 1/2, all numbered by 1; red and black lines intersecting. Straight month lines, one marked ‘EQUINOCTIUM’, to named month, and also marked by zodiac sign (1st Aries = March 15th). Coat of arms. On the base a scale of months with hour of noon.

References

Events