Brass Scaphe Dial
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
16th century
This 16th-century Italian scaphe dial is constructed from brass and measures 175 mm in diameter. The object features a hemispherical bowl mounted on a turned foot with a short, conical central column.
The interior surface of the bowl is engraved with a sequence of undivided hour lines, designed to register Italian hours from 9 to 23, intersected by meridian and equinoctial lines. A pointed gnomon is fixed at the base of the meridian. Externally, the bowl includes a support structure for a compass, which is currently absent, leaving only a pivot and a partial declination line. The dial is accompanied by a turned, stepped cover that features applied relief oakleaf clusters.
It is currently held within the collection of the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in Florence.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Italian scaphe dial
- Origin
- Italian
- Diameter
- 175 mm
- Hour scale
- Italian hours 9 to 23
- Place recorded
- Italy
- Missing component
- Compass
Design
- Visible features
- • Hemispherical bowl on a turned pedestal base • Engraved interior markings for Italian hours • External bracket on the rim for a missing compass • Projecting conical gnomon within the bowl
- Cover and Construction
- The dial includes a turned and stepped cover, which serves as a protective or decorative element for the bowl. This lid features an applied central relief design consisting of an oakleaf cluster. This cluster is constructed from three distinct elements applied to both sides of the lid. The use of brass as the primary material is consistent with historical instrument manufacture in 16th-century Italy.
- Provenance and Documentation
- The object has been linked to the Medici collections, with its earliest recorded mention appearing in the 1574 inventory of the possessions of Granduca Cosimo I. Subsequent inventory entries from 1595 and 1578-61 further confirm the presence of the dial within the Medici holdings. These archival references describe a 'scodella d'ottone' (brass bowl) fitted with a lid and a compass, which corresponds to the physical characteristics of the current object. It is currently catalogued under inventory number 241 by the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza.
- Physical Configuration and Dialing
- The instrument is a scaphe dial, consisting of a brass hemispherical bowl elevated on a turned foot with a conical column. The internal surface serves as the recording plane for the sundial, featuring engraved lines that denote Italian hours ranging from 9 to 23. These lines are traversed by meridian and equinoctial markings. A pointed gnomon is positioned at the base of the meridian within the cup, casting a shadow onto the engraved bowl wall to indicate time. The exterior rim houses a bracket, originally intended to orient the device using a compass, though this component is no longer present.
Identification
- Inventory Number
- 241
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
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: Compass component is missing
- Research required: Uncertainty regarding the precise maker as the instrument is unsigned