591

Circa 1550

MID-16TH CENTURY BOXWOOD NOCTURNAL

Probably British. Unsigned. The main disk carved from a single piece of boxwood, the handle cut and pierced with heart-shaped decoration and incised stars. Outer edge of the disk marked with a calendar scale showing months and days, and the signs of the Zodiac. Smaller disc divided into twenty-four hours using two twelve-hour scales with two projecting pointers stamped "LB" (for Little Bear) and "GB" (for Great Bear). Adjustable index arm fitted to the two disks using a brass nut and bolt pierced by a hole in the center. Reverse stamped with a compass rose and table with the bearing of certain stars located in the Little Bear (Ursa Minor) and Great Bear (Ursa Major) relative to the North Star.
Length 10.25". Scale diameters 4.5".

  • Provenance:
    Tesseract, Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.
    Purchased by Richard Kelton, 1985.
    The Kelton Collection of Marine Art & Artifacts.
  • Literature:
    Elizabethan Instrument Makers: The Origins of the London Trade in Precision Instrument Making by Gerard Turner (Oxford University Press, 2000), p.66.

    Note:
    Nocturnals were used from the Late 15th through the Early 18th Centuries to tell time by the stars during hours of darkness. With the addition of a compass rose, it could also be used to obtain course directions from the position of the North Star. The majority were used in the northern hemisphere and oriented to the pole star Polaris. A simple instrument, the nocturnal's chief benefits were ease of use and compactness.

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We require prompt payment and removal of your purchases as stated in Paragraph 12 of the Conditions of Sale. If you plan to pick up your purchases, please call ahead and we'll make every effort to have your items ready. Our physical address is 1483 Route 6A, East Dennis, MA. Pick up of smaller items at our Mystic, CT location is also available with advance notice.
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COLLECTION OF PURCHASES: Delivery or shipping arrangements must be made within seven (7) days from the close of the auction for all purchases. All items must be removed from Eldred's facilities within fourteen (14) days of the end of the auction. All items remaining after fourteen days may be subject to a $15/per item/per day storage fee. No items will be released unless storage fees are paid in full. Items remaining over thirty (30) days from the close of the auction may be sold for the buyer's account minus auction and storage fees.

August 20, 2021 9:30 AM EDT
East Dennis, MA, US

Eldred's

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $49 $5
$50 $99 $10
$100 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $29,999 $1,000
$30,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000