Silver and gilt-brass mechanical equinoctial pocket sundial, for latitudes between 30 and 65 degrees north, made by Nicolas Rugendas III (1665-1745). It is housed in a black fish skin case with brass hinge and hooks. The round silver case opens with a hinge. The outer faces are engraved with a list of cities and their latitudes inside a laurel wreath. All around, and on each side, there is a frieze of stylised leaves.

The inside reveals a compass, a silver and gilt-brass hour circle as well as a small graduated disc for latitudes from 30 to 65 degrees with a gilt-brass index and the inscription “Gradus Poli”.

The compass, topped with glass and equipped with a blued steel needle with a brass pivot, is engraved with the four cardinal points and the magnetic declination (approximately 10° West). A small decoration surrounds the compass and scrolls are engraved on the plate. The hour circle, graduated in hours and equipped with a movable gnomon in gilt-brass, can be adjusted using the movable index thanks to a spring mechanism hidden inside the case.

Note:

Nicolaus (III) Rugendas (1665–1745) was a German clockmaker and manufacturer of scientific instruments who worked in Augsburg. He is best known for his complex portable sundials, often equipped with compasses and designed for different latitudes. The scientific precision and aesthetic appeal of his instruments illustrate the excellence of European craftsmanship in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Dimensions: dial length of 4,4 cm x width of 1,6 cm / case length of 5,8 cm x width of 2,5 cm.

Made in Augsburg circa 1700.     

Reference : D / P2

Price and additional photos on request.

Also discover many more sundials and equinoxial rings in the dedicated section of our French website : « Cadrans solaires en argent et laiton » and « Cadrans solaires en ivoire ».