D8425

Horizontal dial Long Caption: Portable horizontal dial for latitude 49° North. This is a circular wooden and ivory dial with a decorated back. The obverse side consists of a central compass plate stamped with the cardinal points named in Latin, with an arrowhead at North. The winds are shown pictorially at quadrantal points. The needle is blued, has an arrowhead for North and is surmounted by a brass pyramidal pivot cut into a cross at the top. There is a glass plate over all secured by a twisted brass ring. The whole compass is rotatable to allow for the adjustment for magnetic variation. There is a circle with leaf engravings and holes for positioning the gnomon, which is missing. There is also an hour scale and a Geodetic compass scale. The reverse side is edged by an ivory circle engraved with a wheatsheaf design. The remainder is wood inlaid with ivory depicting leaf designs. Credit line: © National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Georges Prin Collection Object: AST0484 Artist: Hans Graf Date: 1550-1600 Medium: ivory; wood; brass; glass Size: 12 mm x 90 mm Click here to buy a bespoke print of this image.