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ID #SA1244370
FOR SALE
£235
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An Antique Sun Dial/compass
For sale by Opus Antiques
for sale €275     $298
£235
Opus Antiques

Opus Antiques

Sellingantiques Verified Since Oct 2014
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An Antique Sun Dial/compass

19th century
For Sale by Opus Antiques
Description

An antique pocket sundial compass, pantochronometer

or 'Magnetic Dial', dating from c.1850. This particular type of floating sundial compass was patented by the London instrument maker Samuel Porter in 1824, who referred to these instruments as 'Magnetic Dials' and often labelled them to that effect on the base.

This example features a turned wooden case and floating sundial compass card, incorporating a brass gnomon under a domed glass. The compass is in full working order and finds North very well.

The underside of the lid has the name A Rowland, Dorking, June 1878. On the base is an old label entitled ' The magnetic time indicator and compass'.

Approx 5.5cm w x 2.8cm h.

Date of Manufacture

Opus Antiques has dated this Antique Wooden Sundial Compass to the 19th Century.

Independent Date Check ID 09710590
Dealer's Item Date19th Century
Sellingantiques Date19th Century
Sellingantiques agingItem 145-200 years old
Test ResultsPassed dating check
Why Sellingantiques dated this piece to THE 19TH CENTURY:
Handwritten ink inscription inside the lid: personal ownership marked in June 1878.
Letterpress instruction label on the underside: nineteenth-century printing and aged paper.
Turned boxwood case: fine concentric turning marks and natural handling patina.
Floating paper dial with brass gnomon: instrument design following Samuel Porter's 1824 patent.

This is an independent date report produced by Sellingantiques using its own proprietary system. The process uses the photographs shown on this page. The system is never told the date the dealer has declared. This report shows that the two dates corroborate.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1244370
Dealers Notes

Own a piece of history

Description
An antique pocket sundial compass, pantochronometer

or 'Magnetic Dial', dating from c.1850. This particular type of floating sundial compass was patented by the London instrument maker Samuel Porter in 1824, who referred to these instruments as 'Magnetic Dials' and often labelled them to that effect on the base.

“
This example features a turned wooden case and floating sundial compass card, incorporating a brass gnomon under a domed glass.
Opus Antiques

The compass is in full working order and finds North very well.

The underside of the lid has the name A Rowland, Dorking, June 1878. On the base is an old label entitled ' The magnetic time indicator and compass'.

Approx 5.5cm w x 2.8cm h.

Date of Manufacture

Opus Antiques has dated this Antique Wooden Sundial Compass to the 19th Century.

Independent Date Report ID 09710590
Dealer's Item Date19th Century
Sellingantiques dating19th Century
Sellingantiques agingItem 145-200 years old
Test ResultsPassed dating check
Why Sellingantiques dated this piece to the 19th Century:
Handwritten ink inscription inside the lid: personal ownership marked in June 1878.
Letterpress instruction label on the underside: nineteenth-century printing and aged paper.
Turned boxwood case: fine concentric turning marks and natural handling patina.
Floating paper dial with brass gnomon: instrument design following Samuel Porter's 1824 patent.

This is an independent date report produced by Sellingantiques using its own proprietary system. The process uses the photographs shown on this page. The system is never told the date the dealer has declared. This report shows that the two dates corroborate.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1244370
Opus Antiques
Opus Antiques
Sellingantiques verified Since Oct 2014

Antique treen, boxes & decorative georgian items

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Opus Antiques Profile Page

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A turned Victorian boxwood pocket sundial compass with a printed paper dial, brass gnomon, glass cover, and handwritten inscription inside the lid dated 1878.
1 / 4
Archive I A turned Victorian boxwood pocket sundial compass with a printed paper dial, brass gnomon, glass cover, and handwritten inscription inside the lid dated 1878.

An Antique Sun Dial/compass

Archive II A turned Victorian boxwood pocket sundial compass with a printed paper dial, brass gnomon, glass cover, and handwritten inscription inside the lid dated 1878. View II
Archive III A turned Victorian boxwood pocket sundial compass with a printed paper dial, brass gnomon, glass cover, and handwritten inscription inside the lid dated 1878. View III
Archive IV A turned Victorian boxwood pocket sundial compass with a printed paper dial, brass gnomon, glass cover, and handwritten inscription inside the lid dated 1878. View IV
Enlarged Archival View
Opus Antiques

Opus Antiques
Telephone 07941 285 532
Location
North Devon
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/opusantiques
Verified Since Oct 2014
Items For Sale 89
Items Sold 2,423
Opus Antiques
Opus Antiques
Verified Since Oct 2014
View Dealer Info
Location: North Devon, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/opusantiques
Verified
Oct 2014
For Sale
89
Sold
2,423
A turned Victorian boxwood pocket sundial compass with a printed paper dial, brass gnomon, glass cover, and handwritten inscription inside the lid dated 1878.
An Antique Sun Dial/Compass
Ref: SA1244370
A turned Victorian boxwood pocket sundial compass with a printed paper dial, brass gnomon, glass cover, and handwritten inscription inside the lid dated 1878.
Detail View 1
Detail View 2
Detail View 3
Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectPocket Compass
  • Period19th century
  • StyleVictorian
  • MaterialBoxwood, Brass, Glass, Paper
  • ColourNatural Wood
  • MotifsTurned wood casing, Printed paper dial, Folding brass gnomon, Glass protective cover

This Victorian pocket compass and sundial sits inside a turned boxwood case with a domed glass cover protecting a printed paper dial and a folding brass gnomon. The natural wood exhibits warm golden tones and visible grain variations, accompanied by handwritten ink inscriptions on the interior lid surface dated June 1878 alongside age-appropriate surface patination on the brass and wood components. Measuring 5.5 cm wide by 2.8 cm high, the portable instrument fits neatly on an office desk, library table, or display cabinet within a study. Collectors of nineteenth-century scientific instruments can place the piece securely on flat surfaces to serve as a decorative desk accessory or a study display item. The cylindrical turned container houses the working mechanism safely when closed, while the open lid reveals historical owner markings in traditional script. The compact proportions allow placement within limited surface areas alongside books, writing instruments, and vintage desk ornaments.

FAQs

A Victorian pocket sundial compass is a compact portable timekeeping instrument combining a magnetic compass with a folding gnomon and solar dial face, allowing travellers to estimate local solar time prior to standardised time zones.

These instruments were typically manufactured from turned boxwood or fruitwood casings, incorporating printed paper dial faces protected under glass with brass centre pivots and metal gnomons.

Authentic 19th-century examples demonstrate natural age patination on turned timber, hand-assembled brass elements, period typography on the paper dial face, and occasionally handwritten inscriptions or maker signatures inside the wooden lid.

Compact scientific objects such as pocket sundials are ideally displayed atop stacked leather-bound books on a bookshelf, presented within a glass display cloche, or arranged on a timber desk alongside brass accents.

Maintain the object in a dry environment with stable humidity to prevent the turned wood case from cracking, and avoid using liquid cleaners or abrasive materials near the glass face and original paper components.
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