Furniture

A fine brass Anglo-French octagonal pocket sundial with compass by Michael Butterfield, circa 1700. The sundial can be used anywhere between latitudes of 40° and 60° covering Southern Spain and Italy north to Scandinavia. The elaborately engraved base plate has various Roman chapter rings with subdivisions on which the folding hinged gnomon (a triangular flap) casts its shadow. It is signed by the maker in the following manner: Butterfield A Paris. On one side is a glazed recessed compass, with a blued steel hand, to position the instrument in such a way that the time can be read. The triangular gnomon is richly engraved and can be set for a particular latitude by sliding the gnomon up or down, the latitude being indicated by the beak of a figured engraved bird. The folding gnomon and cut corners enable the dial to be carried in the pocket. The underside shows the latitudes of various European places, including London and Rome. Its maker Michael Butterfield (b.1635, d.1724) was an English instrument maker who based himself in Paris for a time. These types of dials, often replicated by other makers, became known as Butterfield Dials...

The ultimate 17th century traveler's companion, this rare and exquisite equatorial sundial by Michael Butterfield (1635-1724) is one of the first reliable and portable methods of telling time. The silver oval-form plate is meticulously engraved with indicators of the hours for specific latitudes of 42, 46, 49 and 52 degrees, which are divided in 15-degree increments that account for the rotation of the earth during a 24-hour period. In order to operate the sundial, the user must position the plate at a parallel angle that equals the local latitude. The gnomon, or pointer, must be pointed toward true north in order to give accurate time. Butterfield sundials are known for their hinged, adjustable gnomons that feature a diminutive bird, as displayed in the present example. The reverse of the sundial plate is engraved with the latitudes for various French and European locations, which makes using the sundial easier to manipulate. Butterfield sundials are known as "semi-universal" horizontal dials, meaning that it can be used at different latitudes, but not in the full range of 0 to 90 degrees. Though Butterfield was not the inventor of this type of dial, the precision of his workmanship and the tell-tale bird gnomon became synonymous with this type of sundial. To find an example in such pristine condition that was made by and signed by Butterfield is quite exceptional. About Michael Butterfield Michael Butterfield was a British clockmaker who moved to Paris in the early 1660s. His portable sundials...