Horizontal Sundial with Compass
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Later 16th century
This horizontal dial is a German-made instrument from the later 16th century, constructed of gilt brass and silver and measuring 54 x 54 x 14 mm. Although the maker is unknown, the object features an inscription naming 'IOAN BAPTISTA NAVMAN' within a scroll around a crested coat of arms on the cover.
The instrument consists of a square-section box with a hinged lid that opens flat. The interior lid features a horizontal sundial with hours marked 4 to 12 to 8, while the main box houses a 29 mm compass with a rotating scale of equal parts. The device incorporates German inscriptions on its sides and exhibits decorative stipple-engraved corners. Its provenance includes the Michel and Billmeir Collections. The silver folding gnomon is a reported replacement.
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
- Material
- Gilt brass and silver
- Dimensions
- 54 x 54 x 14 mm
- Provenance
- Michel Collection, Billmeir Collection
- Inscription 1
- IOAN BAPTISTA NAVMAN
- Inscription 2
- NICHTER KEIT IST EIN LERIN ALER GVENTEN KVNST
- Place recorded
- Germany
- Compass Diameter
- 29 mm
Design
- Visible features
- • Hinged lid opens to lie on the same plane as the box base • Compass glass secured by a ropework ring-spring • Cardinal points engraved as 'SE', 'OR', 'ME' and 'OC' • Silver gnomon sits atop an engraved crescent moon
- Construction and Design
- The instrument is configured as a square-section box formed of gilt brass and silver. Its design features a hinged lid that, when fully opened, rests on the same surface as the main box body. The exterior of the lid is adorned with a central crested coat of arms encircled by a scroll containing the name 'IOAN BAPTISTA NAVMAN', accompanied by four emblematic or mythological engravings in the corners. The internal layout deviates from the common arrangement, as the sundial dial face is integrated into the inside of the lid rather than the main box. The sundial features an hour scale running from 4 to 12 to 8, with fractional graduations between 5 and 7. The silver folding gnomon, positioned above an engraved crescent moon, is described as a replacement.
- Compass and Dial Mechanics
- The base of the instrument contains a 29 mm diameter compass, the glass of which is held by a ropework ring-spring. Cardinal points are marked 'SE', 'OR', 'ME', and 'OC'. Enclosing the compass is a circular scale of equal parts numbered 1 to 12, featuring subdivisions for 1, 1/2, 1/4, and eighths. Both the compass and the surrounding scale are designed to be rotated together. The corners of the face surrounding the compass are embellished with stipple-engraving, and the overall construction reflects German technical traditions from the latter half of the 16th century.
- Inscriptions and Provenance
- The instrument is unmarked by a maker but bears significant inscriptions on its sides: 'NICHTER KEIT IST EIN LERIN ALER GVENTEN KVNST' and 'DIE. VER . GVNGERVNG DERMAS . STAB . VND . AVF STEIGVNG . SCHREG . AB . ZV . NEMEN'. These German texts serve to identify the object's origin. The instrument was previously part of the Michel Collection and the Billmeir Collection (57-84/54). Currently, it is held by the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford.
Identification
- Inventory Number
- 54946
- 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 silver folding gnomon is reported to be a later replacement
- Research required: The precise significance of the four emblematic images on the cover remains unknown