Portable equatorial sundial
ca. 1772–90
Medium
Brass
Dimensions
Overall: 3 1/2 × 3 1/4 × 3 1/8 in. (8.9 × 8.3 × 7.9 cm)
Classification
Horology
Culture
German, Augsburg
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Stephen D. Tucker, 1903
Accession Number
03.21.19
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the ingenious world of 18th horology with Lorenz Gräsl's *Portable Equatorial Sundial*, crafted around 1772–90 in Augsburg, Germany—a hub of precision metalworking renowned for its skilled brass artisans. This compact brass instrument, measuring just 3½ × 3¼ × 3⅛ inches, exemplifies the Enlightenment-era fusion of science and artistry. Gräsl, a instrument maker, fashioned it to harness the sun's shadow for accurate timekeeping, adjustable for different latitudes via its design, making it a traveler's essential. Brass was the ideal medium: corrosion-resistant, highly polishable, and ...