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Museum

Pocket dial

Description

A late sixteenth/early seventeenth-century pocket dial. This consists of a flat brass ring, engraved inside with the hours of the day and outside with the initials of the months. A pierced sliding ring runs around the middle of the outer ring covering a slot. When the hole is opposite the date, and the dial turned towards the sun, a ray of light passes through the hole. This forms a bright spot on the inner ring, indicating the time.

  • Measurements

  • Diameter

    575 mm

  • Marks & inscriptions

    : : : maker's name : Hancock, : : : : SHW,

  • Credit line

    CC-BY-NC-ND Image Courtesy of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust