Cruciform Cylinder Sundial
date: label: date made
content: ca 1625
notes: label: Description
content: This brass cruciform sundial consists of two intersecting tubular pieces on a flat brass base and with a carrying ring at the top. The gnomons are projections from the end of the horizontal cylinder. The vertical cylinder is engraved with hour lines calibrated from 1 to 7 and from 5 to 12 by 1 and lettered by month. The horizontal cylinder rotates so that the gnomon can be lined up with the approximate date. Zodiac symbols encircle the lower part of the vertical cylinder. This sundial is believed to be German and dates to c. 1625. However, previous cataloguing noted: "The effective length of the shadow vane is 20mm, while that of the equinoctial noon shadow is 19mm; this corresponds to a latitude of ca. 46 degrees, 30 minutes--rather southerly for the presumed German origin." It is rare for a pillar, or cylinder, dial to be made from brass. The shape of this dial is also unusual.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: Europe
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
label: Subject
content: Timekeeping
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Science & Mathematics
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.322090
label: accession number
content: 247031
label: catalog number
content: 322090
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Sundial, Altitude
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 9 cm x 6 cm x 2 cm; 3 17/32 in x 2 3/8 in x 25/32 in