A DOUBLE HORIZONTAL DIAL

ELIAS ALLEN, CIRCA 1640

Details

A DOUBLE HORIZONTAL DIAL
Elias Allen, circa 1640
with horizontal projection of the celestial sphere given between the tropics, the months marked along the ecliptic; a 32 point compass rose hour scale IIII-XII-VIII and minute scale divided to 1 minute, signed Elias Allen fecit and inscribed This Diall beelongs to the Garden at Eastwell Park in Kent, the knife-edge double gnomon probably a replacement.
12½in. (32cm.) diameter

Literature

Davis, J. & Lowne, E. The double horizontal dial (London: 2009).
Eagleton, K & Jardine, B. 'Collections and projections', in Journal of the History of Collections, vol.17, 2005 pp.1-13.

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Lot Essay

Elias Allen (c.1588-1654) co-operated closley with William Oughtred (bap.1575-1660) the leading mathematician of the era, who designed the double horizontal dial in circa 1603. The construction of these dials requires remarkable craftsmanship, with some hour lines requiring an engraving burin on a radius of several meters. They enjoyed popularity in the 17th century, even getting a mention in the diary of Samuel Pepys, but are rare post-1700.

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