Butterfield Sundial (Cleveland Museum of Art 1942.490)
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1700s
Butterfield-type sundials are characterized by their adjustable gnomons, metal flaps that cast a shadow on the dial’s face to indicate the hour, and geographical indices.
This sundial has a scale adjustable between latitudes of 40° to 60° north. The latitudes of 26 European towns are engraved on its back for quick reference. With an intricately engraved silver face, it would have functioned as a fashionable traveler’s accessory. Cleveland Museum of Art object 1942.490: Butterfield Sundial, 1700s. France. Silver; overall: 7.7 x 7.4 cm (3 1/16 x 2 15/16 in.). Inscribed: [Engraved signature above the compass in ribbon band]: "N.
BION A Paris"; [Engraved on the face of the sundial]: “Pour 55° 4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11 50° IIII-V-VI-VII-VIII-IX-X-XI 45° 5-6-7-8-9-10-11 40° -VI-VII-VIII-IX-X-XI'; [Engraved on the other side]: "Pour 55° -8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-0 50°-VIII-VII-VI-V-IIII-III-II-I 45°-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 40°-VII-VI-V-IIII-III-II-I"; [Engraved around the compass]: “NORD-OUEST-SUD-EST”; [Engraved on the back of the sundial]: “Turin 44 Milan 46 Paris 49 Lion 46 Metz 49 Rome 42 Liege 51 Naples 44 Namur 50 Gennes 44 Marseille 43 Grenoble 45 Bayonne 43 Bruxelle 51 Londres 52 Nantes 47 Vienne 48 Toulon 43 Tours 47 Lille 51”; [Engraved around the back of the compass]: “Venise 45 Strasbourg 49 Amsterdam 52 Hambourg 54 Varsovie 52 La Rochelle 46”.
Details are those of this museum object; how far it represents a wider type has not been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 3
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
Butterfield-style sundials were named after Micheal Butterfield, an English scientific and mathematical instrument maker who worked in Paris between 1674 and 1724.
Physical characteristics
- Materials
- silver
- Dimensions
- Overall: 7.7 x 7.4 cm (3 1/16 x 2 15/16 in.)
- Measurements
- Overall: 7.7 x 7.4 cm (3 1/16 x 2 15/16 in.)
- Material and technique
- silver
Design
- Inscriptions
- [Engraved signature above the compass in ribbon band]: "N. BION A Paris"; [Engraved on the face of the sundial]: “Pour 55° 4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11 50° IIII-V-VI-VII-VIII-IX-X-XI 45° 5-6-7-8-9-10-11 40° -VI-VII-VIII-IX-X-XI'; [Engraved on the other side]: "Pour 55° -8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-0 50°-VIII-VII-VI-V-IIII-III-II-I 45°-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 40°-VII-VI-V-IIII-III-II-I"; [Engraved around the compass]: “NORD-OUEST-SUD-EST”; [Engraved on the back of the sundial]: “Turin 44 Milan 46 Paris 49 Lion 46 Metz 49 Rome 42 Liege 51 Naples 44 Namur 50 Gennes 44 Marseille 43 Grenoble 45 Bayonne 43 Bruxelle 51 Londres 52 Nantes 47 Vienne 48 Toulon 43 Tours 47 Lille 51”; [Engraved around the back of the compass]: “Venise 45 Strasbourg 49 Amsterdam 52 Hambourg 54 Varsovie 52 La Rochelle 46”
Identification
- Date recorded
- 1700s
- Culture period
- France
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Museum object number
- 1942.490
- Museum classification
- Silver
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: this record describes a single museum object; confirm the wider type, maker attribution and specifications against horological references.