Lot n° 42
Estimation :
500 - 600
EUR
Result without fees
Result
: 550EUR
HORIZONTAL SUNDIAL. - Lot 42
HORIZONTAL SUNDIAL.
LARGE ANTIQUE OCTAGONAL BRONZE SUNDIAL.
[Scotland?, mid-18th century]. 22 × 30 × 29.9 cm - Height of style: 18.2 cm. Angle: 56°.
Large octagonal sundial in black patina bronze, finely engraved all over with cut-out and openwork style.
The upper part bears a cartouche with a Latin motto: "Disce fuos numerare Dies [= Learn to count your days], the initials of the designer and engraver: RH Delint. [= Delineavit] JC Sculpt. [= Sculpsit]" and the names of 13 cities, including Pekin, Borneo & Java, Pondi [= Pondicherry] & Ceylon, Ispahan & Madagascar, Cairo & Smolènsko [= Smolensk], & Cuba. On the style, whose angle is 56°, an engraved Latin inscription reads: "ALIIS INSERVIENDO CONSU MOR "* (= I consume myself in the service of others).
The dial is engraved with 3 large graduated circles adorned with ornamental friezes around their edges. The smallest circle corresponds to the Tropic of Cancer, the middle circle to the equator and the outermost circle to the Tropic of Capricorn. In the smallest circle, in the center, around the style, a plant ornament is engraved with two hourly circles graduated in Arabic numerals and one circle graduated in Roman numerals with the months and the inclination or declination of the sun repeated in the four directions: "Sun Faster" | "Sun Slower". The second circle is engraved with 6 concentric circles graduated in Arabic numerals, while the outer circle bears 16 concentric circles graduated from 10 to 10 and from 5 to 5, divided by vertical lines and marked with dots and 16 transverse curved arrows.
On the reverse, three feet are present; it is highly probable that this table sundial was previously placed outside in a garden on a pedestal.
A handsome sundial with the distinctive feature of indicating the azimuths of several world cities.
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