Accession No

0777

Brief Description

Augsburg dial, silver, German, 1/2 18th C

Origin

Augsburg; Germany

Maker

Class

dials

Earliest Date

1700

Latest Date

1750

Inscription Date

Material

metal (silver, steel); glass; wood; cloth (velvet); fishskin (rayskin)

Dimensions

length 82mm; breadth 80mm; thickness 20mm box length 95mm; breadth 95mm; thickness 27

Special Collection

Robert Whipple collection

Provenance

Purchased by Robert Stewart Whipple from Antique Art Galleries, London, England, on 08/03/1935.

Inscription

‘VITA UT UMBRA’

Description Notes

Augsburg dial, silver, German, 1/2 18th C.

Silver dial with octagonal base on 3 feet. Inset compass with 8-point compass rose, fleur-de-lis for North and 8 points marked in French; degree scale divided 0 - 90˚ - 0 - 90˚ - 0, numbered by 10˚, subdivided to 2˚, with magnetic variation marked at 10˚ W of N. Plumb bob in decorated gallows. Gnomon extends both sides of diametrical bar. Hour circle segment divided III - XII, I - IX, numbered by I, subdivided to 30 minutes; inner rim divided 3 - 12, 1 - 9, numbered by 1, subdivided to 15 minutes. Latitude arc divided [5˚] - 90˚, numbered by 10˚ from 20˚, subdivided to 1˚. On the base within an oval cartouche surmounted by a crown, the motto ‘VITA VT UMBRA’. Remainder of base plate filled with list of towns and latitudes (see history file). On the reverse of the base three volvelles: one marked ‘Jours de la Semaine’ with 7 named days turning over a scale of 31 days; one marked ‘Babiloniq et Italien Heurs’ with 24 hours turning over a scale of hours divided 1 - 12, 1 - 12; lunar volvelle with hour scale divided 1 - 12, 1 - 12, numbered by 1, and lunar age scale divided 1 - 29 1/2, numbered by 1. Reverse of compass box has calendar of months and zodiac signs (1st Aries = March 10th).
Octagonal wooden box, covered with green rayskin, lined with red velvet; silver hinge (broken) and hook fasteners; remains of sticky label on lid.

Condition good (box = poor)

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

References

Events