Summary

Portable sundial made by Jacques Senecal, Dieppe, France, circa 1660.

Physical Description

The upper lid contains a horizontal sundial for latitude 50 degrees north (the latitude of northern France). When the lid is opened a pivoted metal arm enables the user to set the lid at any altitude, by the scale inside the lid, thereby creating an equatorial sundial. The underside of the lid contains a rotating disc, which provides the approximate time of the Moon's transit in accordance with its age. The inside box gives a list of French towns and their latitudes, the cardinal directions, and a compass marked with hours as an analemmatic dial.

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