Offered for sale is antique and 100% authentic an early 18th century very rare silver ring sundial IO. 1721 with shaped suspension bracket and sliding ring set against a month scale with a knob handle and pin hole sight, with engraved inner hour ring. Description: A ring dial, inscribed Thon, Anno 1721, sliding aperture, inner scale marked out in hours 8-1 and 4-12, outer scale marked out in months. The ring with diameter 27mm/1.1 inches with long bracelet. A ring dial is a form of sundial designed to be suspended and then orientated so that the sun’s rays shine through the pin head aperture and indicate the time on the inner dial – you get what you see in the pictures. Sundial ring dated ANNO 1721. It is made out of silver and has a fixed long bracket from same material. On the outer face is a date scale and an inscription: IO. The Equinoxes are marked at approximately 19 March /19 September. On the inside is an hour scale and no inscription saying Piz Buin. There is a Central sliding collar, containing a pinhole, which can be moved by means of a small projecting piece. Hold the dial by the thong, so that the sun shines through the hole in the central ring. The point of light that appears on the inside shows you the time. Ring dial for latitude 48 degrees North. Provenance: A private collection. This is an authentic antique sundial. CONDITION: In its original condition as had been found, showing the age and usage, in good condition. This product would make a wonderful addition to any scientific instrument or sundial collection when displayed in a prominent place, being a grand collectible item that would adorn any serious collector’s prized scientific instrument and sundial accumulations, while showing a discriminating dedication for fine sundials and other scientific instrument items as well as a devotion to acquiring fine collectibles. HISTORY: For thousands of years humans have recognized the passage of time, whether through the cycle of night and day or by the passing of the seasons. Our current method of timekeeping, which uses a 60-second minute, a 60-minute hour and a day divided into two 12 hour periods, originated over 4,000 years ago in Mesopotamia and Egypt. The Ancient Egyptians built great obelisks to track the sun, creating the first sundials. In 600 BC, philosopher and astronomer Anaximander is said to have introduced the sundial to Greece and from there it grew in popularity and was the most trusted timekeeping device for centuries. Sundials still remained in use even with the invention of mechanical clocks, as early clocks were notoriously inaccurate and had to be regularly calibrated using a sundial. Around 1600, English mathematician William Oughtred invented the ring dial, a small portable sundial that quickly came into common use throughout Europe. It consists of a brass ring which, when suspended vertically and oriented towards the sun, can be used to determine the time of day. The interior surface of the ring has numbers corresponding to the hours of the day and the exterior has letters corresponding to the months of the year. A narrow band of brass slides along a groove set in the exterior surface of the ring. The movable band has a hole in it, which can be aligned with the letters, or months, on the exterior of the ring. The hole in the band allows sunlight to pass through and strike the numbers on the interior surface indicating the time of day. If you have additional questions please do not hesitate to contact me. The item “Antique 100% authentic ring sundial Thon Anno. 1721 VERY RARE” is in sale since Sunday, January 3, 2021. This item is in the category “Jewelry & Watches\Vintage & Antique Jewelry\Vintage Ethnic/Regional/Tribal\Other Vintage Ethnic Jewelry”. The seller is “habu-967869″ and is located in Breza. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Jewelry Type: Ring
