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Down Sundial


A painted horizontal slate dial in a private collection, 410mm wide X 570mm deep X 7mm thick. It has a central dial for Latitude 54° 20'N and four small subsidiary dials, one at each corner of the plate, which show the time at Archangel, Baltimore, Madras and Natchez. There is a Place/Longitude table for the five locations delineated. It has an 8 point compass rose at the base on the central gnomon and the chapter ring shows the time from 5a.m. to 7p.m. in Roman Numerals with IV for four. It has a split noon to compensate for the gnomon thickness and fractional time rings inside the chapter ring of 60 mins, 30 mins, 15 mins and 5 mins. No gnomons (if there ever were any). It is doubtful if this dial was ever exposed to weather. No name, no date but from the style and decoration it is unmistakably a McNally c.1835. It has a stylicised North Point marker and mottoes in Latin and English

Veni, Vedi, Legi, Vale (translation - I came, I saw, I read, farewell)
I shew by the kindnefs & splendour of the sun
Brevis hominum vita (translation - Human life is short)
Ars longa vita" (a shortened version of 'Ars longa ut vita' -translation - Art is as long as life)
Luceo & Lateo" (translation - I shine and I set)
Vale non morator hora (translation - Farewell, time does not wait)



If you know the location of a sundial in Ireland (NOT a mass produced DIY Store garden ornament) please email it to me (Click here to email M.J.Harley) - a member of British Sundial Society
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