Epact
Scientific Instruments of Medieval and Renaissance Europe

Epact is an electronic catalogue of medieval and renaissance scientific instruments from four European museums: the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford, the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza, Florence , the British Museum, London, and the Museum Boerhaave, Leiden. Together, these museums house the finest collections of early scientific instruments in the world.

Vertical Dial
Unsigned
16th century; German
Gilt brass; 100 mm in height

This sundial is in the shape of a column with a quadrilateral cross-section. It has a dome-shaped lid which, when opened, can be seen to contain a small compass. The column is provided with a plumb-line which allows the instrument to be kept in a vertical position. The faces of the column bear the gnomons which project their shadows on the hour lines inscribed on its surface.

The instrument is calibrated for a latitude of 48° (Munich, Vienna), suggesting that it originated in the German lands.
[more]

  thanks to plep