Accession No
1129
Brief Description
nocturnal and horary quadrant, [German], 1575 - 1625
Origin
[Germany]
Maker
Class
navigation; dials
Earliest Date
1575
Latest Date
1625
Inscription Date
Material
metal (brass)
Dimensions
Special Collection
Robert Whipple collection
Provenance
Donated by Robert S. Whipple in 02/1952. Bought by Robert S. Whipple from A. Spero, 02/1952.
Inscription
Description Notes
Obverse: nocturnal. Calendar disc with openwork handle terminating in moon face with suspension point. Date scale divided to month and subdivided to 5 days. Zodiac scale divided to sign and subdivided to 5˚. 1st Aries at March 10. Rotatable disc with hour sclae divided IIII - XII, I - VIII, numbered by I, subdivided to 30 minutes; teeth at each hour. Central orifice. Both stellar index and hour disc with interwoven strap decoration.
Reverse: horary quadrant. One quadrant of the circumference divided [0] - 90˚, numbered by 10˚, subdivided to 2˚; remainder marked ‘cir[c]vlvs meridianvs’. Inset rotating disc with calendar scale divided to month. Hour lines divided IIII - XII, I - VIII, numbered by I, subdivided to 30 minutes. Straight hour lines. Decorations of clouds and sun.
References
Events
Description
In November 1944, R.S. Whipple’s donation to the University of Cambridge was put on show in the East Rooms of the Old Schools. The University accepted the donation on the condition that they found a new institution within which to house the collection.
Whipple himself wrote a guidebook to this exhibition, describing some of the more important objects and books on show. The front cover includes the following declaration: “The Exhibits are drawn from the Collection which Mr R.S. Whipple is presenting to the University and will form a nucleus for a History of Science Museum and Library in Cambridge.”
Whipple's own explanatory text for this nocturnal (along with Wh.0250) is:
"By means of which time is determined from the Pointers of the Great Bear or the 'Bright' star of the Little Bear."
17/10/2025
Created by: Hannah Price on 17/10/2025
FM:39983
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