Lot 171
171
AN EARLY 17TH-CENTURY GERMAN INLAID IVORY FRUITWOOD MINING DIAL dial, unsigned, the face profusely deocrated with rosettes and scrolling foliage, inset with two compasses, each decorated with faces of the man in the moon, and each with fine blued-iron needle with brass caps, the cover glasses retained by brass rings with scalloped edges, the dial incised with three scales, the outer divided I-97, the centre divided in divisions of two digits 0-96, the inner divided in sectors of four digits 0-95, the centre with brass butterfly-wing nut and screw (possibly incorrectly mounted), the underside inlaid with ivory centre and bands -- 7in. (18.4cm.) dia.
AN EARLY 17TH-CENTURY GERMAN INLAID IVORY FRUITWOOD MINING DIAL dial, unsigned, the face profusely deocrated with rosettes and scrolling foliage, inset with two compasses, each decorated with faces of the man in the moon, and each with fine blued-iron needle with brass caps, the cover glasses retained by brass rings with scalloped edges, the dial incised with three scales, the outer divided I-97, the centre divided in divisions of two digits 0-96, the inner divided in sectors of four digits 0-95, the centre with brass butterfly-wing nut and screw (possibly incorrectly mounted), the underside inlaid with ivory centre and bands -- 7in. (18.4cm.) dia.

Unsigned

Details
AN EARLY 17TH-CENTURY GERMAN INLAID IVORY FRUITWOOD MINING DIAL dial, unsigned, the face profusely deocrated with rosettes and scrolling foliage, inset with two compasses, each decorated with faces of the man in the moon, and each with fine blued-iron needle with brass caps, the cover glasses retained by brass rings with scalloped edges, the dial incised with three scales, the outer divided I-97, the centre divided in divisions of two digits 0-96, the inner divided in sectors of four digits 0-95, the centre with brass butterfly-wing nut and screw (possibly incorrectly mounted), the underside inlaid with ivory centre and bands -- 7in. (18.4cm.) dia.
Unsigned
The face profusely decorated with rosettes and scrolling foliage, inset with two compasses, each decorated with faces of the man in the moon, and each with fine blued-iron needle with brass caps, the cover glasses retained by brass rings with scalloped edges, the dial incised with three scales, the outer divided I-97, the centre divided in divisions of two digits 0-96, the inner divided in sectors of four digits 0-95, the centre with brass butterfly-wing nut and screw (possibly incorrectly mounted), the underside inlaid with ivory centre and bands
7 in. (18.4 cm.) diam.
Provenance
Rothschild inv. no. AR1738.
Literature
COMPARATIVE LITERATURE:

Wissenschaftliche Instrumente und Sonnenuhren, pp. 212-222, for examples of similarly constructed dials.

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