Accession No

1717

Brief Description

universal mechanical equinoctial dial, by C. W. Heilmann, German, 18th Century

Origin

Germany

Maker

Heilmann, C. W.

Class

dials

Earliest Date

1700

Latest Date

1800

Inscription Date

Material

metal (brass); glass; paper; hide (leather); wood

Dimensions

length 139mm; breadth 105mm; thickness 30mm; box length 158mm; breadth 114mm; thickness 45mm

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. 1935-71.

Inscription

‘C.W. Heilmann’

Description Notes

3 levelling screws. Base edge decoratively engraved. Folding gallows and gilt plumb bob. Inset compass with silvered 4-point rose labelled in German in red; offset 15˚W for magnetic variation. Hinged hour plate in the form of a 4-spoked wheel, three-quarters of the circumference cut with teeth meshing with the gnomon alidade. Hour plate divided IIII - XII, I - VIII, numbered by I. Minute circle on alidade marked in the 4 quarters I - IIII by I and [0] - 60, numbered by 5 minutes, subdivided to 1 minute. Beneath the hour plate a latitude arm divided 30˚ - 80˚ and 70˚ - 20˚, numbered by 10˚, subdivided to 1˚. [String gnomon missing]
Manuscript list of towns and latitudes signed ‘C.W. Heilmann’ on reverse.
Fitted leather-covered wooden box lined with suede. Brass hook fastener. Coming apart at hinge.


fair condition (box in fair condition)

References

Events