Accession No

1768

Brief Description

perpetual calendar, German, 18th C

Origin

Germany

Maker

Class

horology

Earliest Date

1700

Latest Date

1800

Inscription Date

Material

metal (silver)

Dimensions

diameter 49mm; thickness 2mm

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. 1935-22.

Inscription

‘PERPETVUM CALENDAR...’

Description Notes

Silver disc-shaped perpetual calendar; central disc with pierced plates rotating over both faces; edge of central disc knurled.
Obverse: cut at circumference to show central disc with date scale divided 1 - 31, numbered by 1; upper plate marked with days of the week in German, next to a letter and a symbol per day. Also marked ‘Camendarum Perpetvvm’ (?). Decorative openwork of scrolled leaf pattern.
Reverse: cut at circumference to show central disc. Zodiac scale marked ‘Sonnen Lauff’ and divided to sign. Date scale divided to named month and number of days in that month, and marked ‘Monat & Tage’. Length of day scale marked ‘Tag Stunden’ and divided 8 - 16 - 8, numbered by 1. Sunrise scale marked ‘[sun] aufgang’ divided 4 - 8 - 4, numbered by 1 or 1/2. Length of night scale marked ‘Nacht Stunden’ and divided 8 - 16 - 8, numbered by 1. Sunset scale marked ‘[sun] Untergang’ divided 4 - 8 - 4, numbered by 1 or 1/2. Decoratively engraved; decorative open work.
[Signs of repair to open work on both sides. Zodiac signs are calibrated out of phase with respect to months - see history file]

Condition: good/fair.

References

Events