Horizontal Dial
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1600
This circa 1600 horizontal dial is a portable German instrument constructed from gilt brass. Measuring 37 mm in diameter when closed, the object takes the form of an oval box equipped with a hinged lid.
The exterior surfaces of the cover feature engravings of mythological figures, while the case edges display geometric ornamentation. Internally, the instrument contains a compass with a hand-painted card featuring a sun effigy in blue and pink, produced from an engraved plate. The hour ring is engraved with numerical markings from IIII to XII to VIII, accompanied by the initials 'R G'. A gnomon is positioned over the compass.
The inclusion of a suspension ring indicates the object may have functioned as a wearable medallion. The maker is unidentified, and the initials 'R G' are interpreted by current scholarship as representing the owner or commissioner rather than the craftsman.
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
- German horizontal dial
- Origin
- German
- Function
- Horizontal sundial with compass
- Markings
- R G
- Material
- Gilt brass
- Decoration
- Mythological figures and geometric patterns
- Dimensions
- 37 mm
- Place recorded
- Germany
Design
- Visible features
- • Oval gilt brass box construction • Gnomon folds inward to allow the lid to close • Hand-painted compass card with sun motif • Suspension loop attached to the box casing
- Dial and Compass Assembly
- Internally, the instrument comprises a horizontal sundial integrated with a magnetic compass. The hour lines are engraved directly onto the base plate, surrounding the compass well, with the sequence labeled from IIII to XII to VIII. A triangular gnomon is present to cast the necessary shadow for timekeeping. The compass card itself is distinct, having been printed from an engraved metal plate. It is finished with hand-painted details, specifically a sun effigy rendered in blue and pink tones. The inner rim of the lid is also engraved with geometric border motifs to match the exterior aesthetic.
- Signatures and Documentation
- The instrument bears no maker's signature, remaining anonymous. The only personal mark found on the piece is the set of initials 'R G', which are engraved on the hour ring. The item is currently held by the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford, recorded under inventory number 39983. Documentation characterizes it as a product of German craft from approximately 1600.
- Case and Exterior Construction
- The instrument is housed within an oval brass box finished in gilt. The exterior of the lid and the underside of the base are both engraved with mythological figures. The peripheral edge of the oval container is further decorated with geometric patterns. The box is designed to be portable and compact, measuring 37 mm in diameter. A small metal ring is affixed to the side of the casing, facilitating its suspension. This feature leads researchers to suggest that the dial may have been worn as a piece of jewellery, specifically a medallion, rather than remaining strictly stationary on a surface.
Identification
- Inventory number
- 39983
- 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 initials 'R G' remain unattributed to a specific individual
- Research required: The specific identity of the mythological figures is not documented