French-Style Sector Signed by Butterfield
date: label: date made
content: 1677-1724
name: label: maker
content: Butterfield, Michael
notes: label: Description
content: The arms of this brass instrument have plain ends, but the hinge is decorated with a flower. One side has a double scale of chords that runs from 10 to 180; a double scale for "les Solides" that runs from 1 to 60; and a double scale for the specific weights of five metals, marked with their symbols. The outer edge of both arms has a scale that runs from 1/4 to 60 and is labeled Diamettre [<i>sic</i>] et Poids des Boulets. The sector is marked: Butterfield (/) AParis.
label: Description
content: On the other side, the outer edge has a scale that runs from 1/4 to 60 and is labeled Calibre des Pieces. There are double scales of equal parts, running from 10 to 200; for "les plans," running from 10 to 60; and for inscribed regular polygons, from 12 sides to three sides. Compare to MA.321676 and 1985.0580.04.
label: Description
content: Michael Butterfield (1635–1724) was an English instrument maker who worked in France from around 1677 until his death. He was best known for his distinctive sundials.
label: Description
content: References: Maya Hambly, <i>Drawing Instruments, 1580–1980</i> (London: Sotheby's Publications, 1988), 24, 134–135; Anthony Turner, "Sector," in <i>Instruments of Science: An Historical Encyclopedia</i>, ed. Robert Bud and Deborah Jean Warner (New York and London: Garland Publishing, 1998), 526–528.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: France: Île-de-France, Paris
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
label: Subject
content: Sectors
label: Subject
content: Rule, Calculating
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
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content: Sectors
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content: Science & Mathematics
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.321677
label: catalog number
content: 321677
label: accession number
content: 245711
objectType: label: Object Name
content: sector
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: .4 cm x 17.3 cm x 3 cm; 5/32 in x 6 13/16 in x 1 3/16 in