A late 17th / early 18th Century Butterfield style silver po...

Estimate

£1,500 - £2,000

A late 17th / early 18th Century Butterfield style silver pocket sundial, octagonal form with engraved Roman chapter ring and hinged gnomon, with compass, 76mm x 60mm, housed within its original leather case. The reverse is engraved with locations such as Gore (New Zealand), Tinian (Northern Mariana Islands), Guadeloup (French Caribbean), Manille (Manila - Philippines) and Siam (Thailand), suggesting that it may have had a connection to maritime navigation or exploration, given that many explorers, traders, or military figures travelled to these regions during that time. It was likely made for a person involved in maritime navigation or colonial trade, and the locations could mark significant ports or destinations encountered during travels.

This type of portable sundial was a fashionable traveller's accessory during the late 17th Century. The hinged gnomon (triangular flap made to create a shadow) could be adjusted according to latitude. The gnomon folds flat and the sundial has cut corners to enable the dial to be enclosed in a case and carried in a pocket.

The adjustable gnomon enabled the time to be read accurately in a variety of locations. Travellers still carried sundials even when watches became popular. Early watches were not always accurate for long and a dial enable them to be set regularly. A German travellers' guide of the time also recommended sundials over clocks while on the road because the chiming of clocks might attract thieves.

This type of sundial is known as a Butterfield style dial as it was originally designed by Michael Butterfield, an English instrument maker who worked in Paris during the late 17th Century.