Accession No

1770

Brief Description

perpetual calendar and universal polar east/west dial, by Nikolaus Rugendas, German, first half 18th century

Origin

Augsburg; Germany

Maker

Rugendas. Nikolaus [aka Nicolaus] (the 3rd)

Class

dials

Earliest Date

1690

Latest Date

1745

Inscription Date

Material

metal (silver, gilt brass)

Dimensions

length 88 mm; diameter 72 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. 1935-124.

Inscription

‘Nicolaus Rugendas: Aug.’
‘Horologium Vniversola’

Description Notes

Perpetual calendar and universal polar east/west dial, by Nikolaus Rugendas, German, first half 18th century.

Gilt brass and silver.
Obverse: perpetual calendar divided in a series of circles, reading from the outside.
Date scale divided to initialled month, with Saint’s days; day scale divided 1 - 31; movable circle for days of the week, marked in German (also list of towns and latitudes marked on this circle; 13-1-2000); movable circle with lunar age scale divided 1 - 30; central movable silver disc with table of dates and months with window, marked ‘Monat des Jahrs’. The back of the silver disc has a similar table of dates, but with numbers in place of the months. (In the window of the silver circle is visible the month, and the number of days in that month. Below this is the sign of the zodiac and a number (date on which that sign starts/ends?); 13-1-2000).
Reverse: universal polar east/west dial. Decorated silver suspension shackle. Dial held in a circumferential clasp. Circumference divided 90˚ - 0 - 90˚, numbered by 10˚, subdivided to 1˚ for latitude. Marked ‘Horologium Vniversala’. Silver dial plate with folding piece on the XI-I hour line; dial divided 3, IIII - XII, I - VIII, 9, numbered by I, subdivided to 3 minutes. Zodiac scale divided to 10˚. Folding pin gnomon (missing; 13-1-2000). Also has scale for ‘Altitudo Solis’, divided [0] - 90˚, numbered by 10˚, subdivided to 1˚.



Condition: good; incomplete (gnomon missing?).

References

Events