Equinoctial Dial by Hieronymus de Arresse
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1598
This equinoctial sundial, signed by Hieronymus de Arresse and dated 1598, is constructed from brass and measures 62 by 60 by 15 mm. The instrument features a box with a hinged cover leaf that serves as the hour plate, inscribed with a Latin maxim and engraved with figures of St Francis of Assisi and St Anthony of Padua.
Designed as a universal dial, it includes a scale of latitudes ranging from 20 to 60 degrees. The maker further provided a table of latitudes for 24 cities located in Spain and Portugal. Currently, the object is incomplete; it lacks the gnomon, the compass needle, the direction plate, and a rotating disc for the lid. The box exterior displays decorative foliate engraving featuring a hare, a boar, and two dogs, alongside orientation labels for the cardinal directions.
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
- Date
- 1598
- Type
- Iberian equinoctial dial
- Maker
- Hieronymus de Arresse
- Dimensions
- 62 x 60 x 15 mm
- Provenance
- Lewis Evans Collection
- Latitude Range
- 20 to 60 degrees
- Place recorded
- Spain
- Maker / attribution
- Hieronymus de Arresse
Design
- Visible features
- • Engraved figures of two saints on the inside lid • Foliate exterior engraving including animal motifs • Compass bowl void currently visible in the main box • Numbered latitude scale visible on the side of the box
- Construction and Design
- The instrument is composed of a brass box base and a hinged cover leaf which acts as the hour plate. The cover features a central hole meant for a gnomon, supplemented by two smaller holes, and is used in conjunction with a folding arm for adjusting the plate's elevation. The outer face of this lid bears an hour scale marked from 1 to 12 twice. The base of the box contains a hollowed circular space originally intended to house a compass, which is no longer present. The area surrounding this bowl is decorated with engravings of animals, specifically a hare, a boar, and two dogs, amidst foliate patterns. The sides of the box are labelled with the cardinal directions 'ORIENS', 'MERIDIES', and 'OCCIDENS' within decorative panels.
- Condition and Completeness
- The dial is reported as incomplete by the holding institution. Significant components required for the standard operation of the instrument are missing, including the gnomon, the compass needle, the direction plate, and a rotating disc for the lid. Despite these losses, the main body and the cover leaf remain intact, preserving the majority of the original decorative work and technical inscriptions. The inventory history is documented through the Lewis Evans Collection.
- Inscriptions and Ornamentation
- The interior surface of the hinged cover leaf is extensively decorated with religious iconography and text. It displays engraved figures of St Francis of Assisi and St Anthony of Padua. Flanking these figures is a Latin inscription: 'NON . SIBI . SOLI . VIVERE . SED . ET . ALIIS . PROFICERE . VVLT'. A date, 1598, is positioned in a small cartouche above the midday point on the hour scale. Winged heads are engraved in the four corners of the plate. The base of the instrument houses a table listing the latitudes for 24 towns and cities located in Spain and Portugal.
Identification
- Inventory Number
- 38577
- 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: The gnomon is missing
- Research required: The compass needle and rotating lid disc are missing