Compendium by Christoph Schissler
date: label: Date made
content: 1571
name: label: maker
content: Christoph Schissler
notes: label: Description
content: This square brass compendium is composed of three leaves. Leaf 1a contains a lunar volvelle with two indices and a phase indicator. The volvelle is labeled: Incrementum at Decrementum Lune. From the center outwards, the circles are calibrated as follows: from 1/2 to 1 to 10 to 28 by 1 (1-10) and 2 (10-28); from 1 to 12 by 1 X 2; from 1 to 12 by 1 X 2 with marks for each quarter-hour; from 0 to 12 to 0 by 1 (hours); and from 48 to 0 by 12 X 6 (minutes). Leaf 1b contains a wind rose with sixteen compass points labeled in German and eight weather conditions in Latin. The rose has been colored red, green, and black. The wind vane is missing. Leaf 2a contains a horizontal dial calibrated from 4 to 12 to 8 by 1 with a blade gnomon which folds up. There is an inset compass with glass and needle and four compass points lettered in Latin. It is offset approximately 5 degrees east of north for variation. Leaf 2b contains a brass piece engraved with scrollwork. Leaf 3a contains a nocturnal labeled "Dubhe Meioris"; "Koab Minoris," and "Horae Noctis" with an index that folds out. It is calibrated by month name and decade numbers for days. The "8" in "Feb. 28" is missing. The nocturnal is also calibrated from 4 to 12 to 8 by 1. There are small brass pegs at each of these numbers. Leaf 3b is a latitude table for twenty-four European cities named in Latin. There is decorative scrollwork on all sides and faces of the compendium.
label: Description
content: Purchased in 1962 at auction from the Findlay Collection.
label: Description
content: Source:
label: Description
content: Accession File.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
label: Subject
content: Mathematics
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Measuring & Mapping
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.320151
label: catalog number
content: 320151
label: accession number
content: 241222
objectType: label: Object Name
content: compendium
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 1.5 cm x 5.8 cm x 5.8 cm; 19/32 in x 2 9/32 in x 2 9/32 in