Accession No

1710

Brief Description

universal inclining dial, by F. Morelli, French, 1725-1750 (c)

Origin

France; Paris

Maker

Morelli, F.

Class

dials; horology

Earliest Date

1725

Latest Date

1750

Inscription Date

Material

metal (brass); glass; string

Dimensions

length 82mm; breadth 60mm; thickness 20mm

Special Collection

Holden-White collection

Provenance

On loan from The Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge. Donated by Charles Holden-White to the Fitzwilliam Museum. Holden-White collection no. 1935-64.

Inscription

‘Cadran Universel
Inuent Par Iulien Le
Roy De La Societe
Des Arts
Felice Morelli Fecit’ (signed on dial plate)

Description Notes

In brass. Hinged dial plate pierced to show compass beneath. Calibrated IIII-XII, I-VIII by 1 subdivided to 15’ from IIII-V and VII-VIII. From V-IX 3/4, and from II 1/4-VII subdivided to 7.5’. From IX 3/4 - XII - II 1/4, subdivided to 5’, numbered by 15 from X-II. Signed on the dial plate. Folding arm for string style. Latitude arm slotting through dial plate 0, 23, 34-52 by 3 subdivided to 1o. On base plate, compass 32mm diam. with arm for adjustment for magnetic variation, calibrated for variation ‘Orientalle 20-0-20 Occidental’ by 10 subdivided to 1o, and marked ‘Declinaison’. On verso of base plate list of towns and latitudes: ‘Paris 48.51, Chantilly 49.4, Bordeaux 44.50, Marseille 43.19, Philisbourg 49.10, Londres 51.31, Strasbourg 48.35, Amsterdam 52.23, Madrit 40.26, Chalon 46.45, Toulouse 45.37, Vienne 48.14, Constantinopole 41, Versailles 48.4, Perpignan 42.44, Grenoble 45.11, Rennes 48.3, Milan 45.20, Dijon 47.20, Lion 45.45, Turin 44.50, Metz 49.14, Tours 47.27, Rome 41.54, Lisle 50.40, Nancy 48.39’.
(Small vertical plates attached at either end of dial plate. One has a pinhole sight, the other a scored cross. Knurled screw on plate with sight. Section of base plate cut away; 24-1-2000).
Condition: good.

References

Events