Beschreibung:

A magnificent 17th Century Dutch gilded brass 'Holland Circle' , signed in a cartouche Anthonius Hoevenaer Fecit Leydae , the outer rim with four fixed slit sights at the cardinal points thus forming a surveyor's cross, at the centre is a magnetic compass marked with 16 direction pointers, North indicated by a fleur-de-lys, then O, S, W, around the compass box turns the alidade, with a pair of sights, the ends of the alidade are pierced to permit reading the degree numbers, the lower half of the circle has a shadow square with two scales, 0 to 12 by ones, and 0 to 60 by ones, at the North is a shackle and ring for suspension when using the shadow square, the outer rim engraved with a pair of circles, each divided into 360° by ones, the outer circle marked at the half degrees, while the inner is marked at the full degrees (this an unusual procedure), every ten degrees are numbered, running in two sequences (clockwise and anticlockwise) from 360° at the North, there follow the names of the winds in two sequences: 16 in Latin and 32 in Dutch, the Latin read Aparctias, Aquilo, Greco, Caecias, Subsolanus, Vulturnus, Syrocho, Euroauster, Auster, Libonthus, Lebeccio, Africanus, Zephyrus, Corus, Magistralis, Circius , the Dutch cardinal names are: NOORD, OOST, ZVYD, WEST, and the intermediate points employ the common contractions, underneath is a tapered socket to fit over the head of a post or tripod, this is attached to the underside of the circle by four screws with heart-shaped heads and a compass joint attaches to the socket, the joint is provided with a pair of holes to accept a tightening key and can be fixed at its desired setting by a screw with a heart-shaped head, the main plate finely engraved and pierced with scrolling foliage and latticework, except for the East-West bar and the alidade, which are deeply incised in a similar pattern, North of centre is a lattice monogram that incorporates the letters A V M , the top of the cartouche has a grotesque face See Colour Plate and detail