Accession No

0660

Brief Description

spherical equinoctial dial by H. Volmar, 18th C

Origin

Nürnberg; Germany

Maker

Volmar. Hans

Class

dials

Earliest Date

1700

Latest Date

1800

Inscription Date

Material

metal (brass); wood; hide (shagreen leather, suede)

Dimensions

height 161mm; breadth 55mm; diameter of base 51mm; box height 171mm; base diameter 74mm

Special Collection

Robert Whipple collection

Provenance

Purchased by Robert Stewart Whipple from Antique Art Galleries, Grafton Street, London, England, on 31/12/1930.

Inscription

‘

’ (underside of base)

Description Notes

Brass with turned foot surmounted by turned pillar. At top of pillar a thin segmental ring provides the axis for the sphere. The whole topped with an obelisk; beneath this a compass with the cardinal points marked in Italian. Sphere has hour lines and half-hour lines, numbered for every hour in Roman numerals; zodiac signs also marked; also ‘circulus arcticus’, ‘AEQUATOR’ and ‘Circulus Antarcticus’. Pin gnomon (replacement) set on the XII line at the equator, with the terminal points of the segment mounting acting as indices.

Fitted wooden case covered with shagreen leather and lined with suede; brass hinges and hook fasteners.

Condition of case - good
good condition

[NOTE: On 15/04/2015 XRF analysis was conducted on this instrument. Results and analysis are given in the ‘Notes’ field.]

References

Events