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Source Description
Butterfield-type sundials are characterized by their adjustable gnomons, metal flaps that cast a shadow on the dial’s face to indicate the hour, and geographical indices. This sundial has a scale adjustable between latitudes of 40° to 60° north. The latitudes of 26 European towns are engraved on its back for quick reference. With an intricately engraved silver face, it would have functioned as a fashionable traveler’s accessory.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
122167
label
Butterfield Sundial
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
122167
contentType
object
title
Butterfield Sundial
description
Butterfield-type sundials are characterized by their adjustable gnomons, metal flaps that cast a shadow on the dial’s face to indicate the hour, and geographical indices. This sundial has a scale adjustable between latitudes of 40° to 60° north. The latitudes of 26 European towns are engraved on its back for quick reference. With an intricately engraved silver face, it would have functioned as a fashionable traveler’s accessory.
date
1700s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q80018390
genreSpecific
Silver
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 7.7 x 7.4 cm (3 1/16 x 2 15/16 in.)
cul
France, 18th century
accession
1942.49
Source extras
tec
silver
tombstone
Butterfield Sundial, 1700s. France, 18th century. Silver; overall: 7.7 x 7.4 cm (3 1/16 x 2 15/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Henry W. Kent, 1942.490
collection
Decorative Arts
inscriptions
inscription
[Engraved signature above the compass in ribbon band]: "N. BION A Paris"
inscription
[Engraved on the face of the sundial]: “Pour 55° 4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11 50° IIII-V-VI-VII-VIII-IX-X-XI 45° 5-6-7-8-9-10-11 40° -VI-VII-VIII-IX-X-XI'
inscription
[Engraved on the other side]: "Pour 55° -8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-0 50°-VIII-VII-VI-V-IIII-III-II-I 45°-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 40°-VII-VI-V-IIII-III-II-I"
inscription
[Engraved around the compass]: “NORD-OUEST-SUD-EST”
inscription
[Engraved on the back of the sundial]: “Turin 44 Milan 46 Paris 49 Lion 46 Metz 49 Rome 42 Liege 51 Naples 44 Namur 50 Gennes 44 Marseille 43 Grenoble 45 Bayonne 43 Bruxelle 51 Londres 52 Nantes 47 Vienne 48 Toulon 43 Tours 47 Lille 51”
inscription
[Engraved around the back of the compass]: “Venise 45 Strasbourg 49 Amsterdam 52 Hambourg 54 Varsovie 52 La Rochelle 46”
didYouKnow
Butterfield-style sundials were named after Micheal Butterfield, an English scientific and mathematical instrument maker who worked in Paris between 1674 and 1724.
creditline
Gift of Henry W. Kent
updatedAt
2026-05-29 06:17:56.642000
sourceId
122167
dept
Decorative Art and Design
coll
Decorative Arts
med
silver
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
9723137d0b02de82