TESSERACTEarly Scientific Instruments

Catalogue One Hundred Two

Spring, 2016 $8

CATALOGUE ONE HUNDRED TWOCopyright 2016 David Coffeen

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— David Coffeen, Ph.D.— Yola Coffeen, Ph.D.

Members:Scientific Instrument SocietyAmerican Association for the History of MedicineHistorical Medical Equipment SocietyAntiquarian Horological SocietyInternational Society of Antique Scale CollectorsSurveyors Historical SocietyEarly American Industries AssociationThe Oughtred SocietyAmerican Astronomical SocietyInternational Coronelli SocietyAmerican Association of Museums

Co-Published : RITTENHOUSE: The Journal of the American Scientific Instrument Enterprise(http://www.etesseract.com/RHjournal/)

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In addition to buying and selling early instruments, we can perform formal appraisals of yoursingle instruments or whole collections, whether to determine fair market value for donation,for insurance, for loss, etc. We were recently engaged to appraise a major medical collectionof several hundred items being donated to an American museum, and to appraise a majorEuropean collection of early scientific instruments, being insured for a loan exhibition.

TESSERACTBox 151Hastings-on-HudsonNew York 10706 USA

telephone: 1-914-478-2594e-mail: mail@etesseract.comweb site: http://www.etesseract.com

founded 1982

* * * * * ASTRONOMY * * * * *

1. EXCEPTIONAL COILED-TUBE BINOCULARS, French, c. 1880. These ingeniousbinoculars are constructed with two gilt-brass main plates supporting not only the 2” (5cm) diameter objective lens cells, but also the complex assembly of axle with twin piniongears engaging the long folding rack-works which drive a thick plate carrying theeyelenses, meanwhile extending the helical coils to form opaque tubes to exclude off-axis light. Materials include gilt brass, steel, horn, and tortoiseshell. Condition is veryfine noting a littlenibbling to theorganics and a littlechipping to theenamel.

This attractiveand ingeniousdevice extends froma compact 1-1/2”thick to 5” fullyopen (4 to 13 cm),and is completewith its originalsomewhat wornshaped case boundin blackened leatherand lined in pinksilk. $1950.

2. DIMINUTIVE TERRESTRIAL GLOBE ON DECORATIVE STAND, French,1857, signed “Delamarche à Paris, Rue du Battoir, 25; 1857.” This 3-1/8” (8 cm)diameter globe is applied with printed and partially hand-colored paper gores showingextraordinary detail. We note some interesting features including the Prime Meridian(zero degrees longitude) passing through Paris, and the record of the death of CaptainCook, in February 1779, on the island of Hawaii. The globe itself is in fine conditionwith general light browning, and only very minor scuffing or losses.

Mounted in a brass meridian ring, the globe is wonderfully presented on itschemically darkened cast brass stand with four supporters atop a shaped pillar and basewith leaf-and-berry decor. Mounted around the base are symbols of astronomy andgeography, viz. protractor, dividers, multi-draw telescope, and sheaf of papers withdepictions of sun, moon, and stars. The brass work is all in excellent condition, and thetotal overall height is 6-7/8” (17.5 cm).

The globe maker was Felix Delamarche, successor to this most important globemanufactory founded by Charles-François Delamarche. A rather similar 8 cm globefigures in a tellurian in the National Maritime Museum Collections (Dekker, 1999, p.321).

We have seen variant forms of the present mounting on small mid-19th centuryterrestrial globes, noting in particular the Newton globe in Tesseract Catalogue 70 (Item2). It makes for a very handsome desktop stand. $4500.

* * *

3. FINE CASED MONOCULAR, probably Northern Italian, 18th century, 2-1/2” (6 cm)long closed, giving good erect images with its Galilean optics. Main tube and drawtubeare made of heavy card bound in colored (pale rose and green, respectively) vellum,mounted with ivory lens cells. The main tube has silvered stamped decor, the drawtubetraces of manuscript notation. Remarkably the original turned boxwood case and coversurvive, all in excellent condition. A very good example. $1100.

4. ELEGANT BRASS ASTROLABE, SIGNED FOR THE ASTRONOMER WHODESIGNED IT AND FOR THE CRAFTSMAN WHO MADE IT, Indian, c. mid-19thcentury. The main plate measures 10-3/4” (27.4 cm) in overall diameter, hand-engravedon the front with the coordinate system for a user at latitude approximately 28 degreesnorth. The astrolabe was likely crafted in Rajasthan, possibly in the important city ofBikaner at latitude 28.01 degrees. Around the projection is a circumferential scaledivided every degree and labeled every six degrees. The integral “throne” is nicelypierced and engraved in foliate patterns, and mounted with suspension swivel; therounded edges in the throne give it an almost three-dimensional shape. The openworkrete, which presents a map of the heavens, rotates on the main plate, and is designed with27 different mostly dagger-shaped star pointers, all labeled with the appropriate starnames. The pointer for Alpha Coronae Borealis (Alphecca) however, is formed as a largepeacock perched on the rete’s central disk, and finely modeled with raised neck and withfeather decoration.

The reverse is engraved with a sine/cosine grid, and with a double shadow squarelabeled on the left “shadows of a gnomon of 12 digits,” and on the right “shadows of agnomon of 7 digits.” Below this the inscription reads “Latitude 28.16 [degrees]” and“Midday equinoctial shadow 6.30 [digits].” And finally comes: “This plate was made bySutradhara Suryamalla according to the instructions of Kasturicandra.” Sutradhara

means architect, here used in the sense ofcraftsman or artisan; the maker’s lastname means literally “sun-wrestler.”Two other astrolabes by Suryamalla areknown, also made under the instruction ofthe astronomer named Kasturicandra, and bearing the same distinctive peacock motif.(Sarma, personal communication)

The back of the astrolabe is mounted with the sighting tube/alidade, which has anicely shaped center and a beveled edge divided both sides of the center (with equallyspaced divisions, approximately 54 on one side of the shaped center, 58 on the other, andthus approximately two millimeters per division). All is held together by a central pinsecured by a charming little stylized-horse-shaped “horse.”

Condition is very fine throughout, the brass with a uniform brown patina. A fineexample of an authentic functioning astrolabe, signed for both the maker and designer.

$22,500.

5. MINIATURE CELESTIAL GLOBE BY JEAN FORTIN, French, c. 1770, the 2-5/8”(6.7 cm) diameter solid wood globe applied with 12 full gores printed with wonderfulclassical constellation figures and bearing four cartouches as follows “A Paris chez le S’r.Fortin, Rue de la Harpe,” “Globe Celeste sur Lequel les Etoilles sont placée come disontà Présent,” “L’on n’a mis sur ce Globe que les Principales Etoilles,” and “Gr. et Figuredes Etoilles: Premiere,...Cinquième, Nebuleuse,” the latter a legend showing the symbolsused for the brightness level of each star. The globe rotates within a meridian ring oflaminated card, with red border in the French manner and bearing a printed 360 degreescale. The meridian ring sits within, and rotates within to set the latitude, the heavy cardhorizon ring printed with calendrical and Zodiacal scales for the Sun’s positionthroughout the year (with vernal equinox of 21 March), plus scale of compass directions.The whole is mounted in a base and pull-off cover of turned wood, blackened and withoriginal gilt floral patterns. Condition is very fine throughout, noting only light wear, thepaper surfaces revarnished (reversibly) for paper conservation.

Jean Nicolas Fortin was a publisher and globe maker in Paris, termed “Ingénieur -Méchanicien pour les Globes et Sphères.” He produced lovely terrestrial as well ascelestial versions in this size (see E. Dekker, 1999, for the examples at Greenwich). Thecase work matches that of the demonstration apparatus of Abbé Nollet (see Pyenson andGauvin, The Art of Teaching Physics, 2002).

A significant find. $16,500.

6. EARLY JAPANESE TELESCOPE, c. early 19th century, constructed of heavy rolledcard lined with thin wood and bound in thin red and black leathers, apparently, with giltstamping throughout. It opens from 9” to 28” (23-71 cm) on three drawtubes, the tubesslightly tapered for excellent rigidity when fully open. The large eye surround and thetube mounts are of turned horn, and the main tube is brass-bound at each end, noting anengraved six-lobed pattern on the objective brass. The optics, which give good images,consist of an erecting eyepiece system plus a small 9/16” diameter singlet objective setin a 1-5/8” diameter turned wood cell. Conditionis very fine, noting the brass with a dark brownpatina, a few small losses to the finish on onedrawtube, and a bit of nibbling to the horn(verifying its authenticity!)

Such extensive gilt stamping, covering allavailable surfaces, is known on a subset ofJapanese telescopes, and may be compared withthe decoration on item 260 in the Louwmancollection (published 2013). The engraved patternof three-fold symmetry, which also shows traces ofold gilding, appears to be the crest of theTokugawa shogunate, which ruled Japanthroughout the Edo period (1603 - 1868). TheShogun, with the miliary power, was morepowerful than the Emperor, and his crest or “mon,”was a stylized design of three hollyhock leaves ina circle.

A finely crafted telescope with mostintriguing provenance. $9500.

* * * * * MICROSCOPY * * * * *

7.UNCOMMON BOX-FORM NUREMBERGM I C R O S C O P E ,German, first quarter 19thcentury, signed pyro-graphically on the base“JFF” within a heart.Extending from 8-1/4” to11-1/4” (21 - 29 cm) tallby two drawtubes, the

microscope is constructed with an oakbody, lovely (fruitwood?) fittings withfinely milled edges, and heavy card tubesbound in colored patterned paper. It iscomplete with the original highmagnification optics, inclinable substagemirror, screw-on wood covers for eyepieceand objective, and wooden specimen slider.Condition is very fine noting a couple ofage checks.

This form is much less common thanthe Nuremberg Culpeper type, and islikened by G. Turner to the drummicroscopes of Benjamin Martin (cf. theNuremberg examples in the RMScollection illustrated in The Great Age ofthe Microscope). The Nuremberg makershave not been well studied: besides “JFF,”we find records of “IM” and “CHL.”

$1850.

8. EXCEPTIONAL ANATOMICAL PREPARATIONS, English, c. last quarter 19thcentury, the twelve preparations all mounted undercover glass on 1” x 3” (2.5 x 7.6 cm) slides. Eight arehuman thin sections, including a remarkable foetalhand by J.J. Hunter, an 1872 injected lung, a stillbornfoot section by Cole, and an injected liver section. Inaddition we have a kitten toe preparation by RichardSuter, rabbit kidney by Cole, etc. Some of these arerather important histologic preparations; the foetalhand, for example, is an early pre-1870 mount byHunter, and is illustrated in Bracegirdle’s A History ofMicrotechnique (1978, p.195). In very fine condition,this is a rare group demonstrating the advanced state ofanatomical research with the microscope, 130 yearsago! $950./ the group of 12

9.ELEGANT CULPEPER-TYPEMICROSCOPE, probablyEnglish, mid-18th century.Standing 11-1/2” (29 cm) tall(minimum), the microscope is afascinating transitional form, withbase and body tube of turned hardwood highlighted with goldenameled bands and floral swags.The rest of the structure is in brass,with both stage and tube held bytriple S-curve supporters. Themain optical tube is in brightlacquered brass giving fine imageswith the single ocular andobjective. There is an eyepiecedust slide, Bonanni spring stage forsliders, one such preparedspecimen slide, and yoke-mountedmirror below. Condition is veryfine, the brass retaining partialoriginal lacquering. An idio-syncrasy of the wood/brass design,and perhaps a reason it was littleused, is that the microscope tubeslides freely in the body tube whenthe relative humidity is high, but isstuck tight when the air is quite dryand it shrinks.

The combination of materialsused here is very elegant. Itreminds us of the popularity ofmixed materials in microscope andtelescope design in the 18thcentury, including colored rayskinbindings. painted metal main tubes,silver and/or stained ivory trim,stamped leather and vellumbindings, tortoiseshell, tropicalwoods, etc. Few examples of paintdecoration on microscopes areknown; for a fine one, see boxmicroscope #6 in the treatise byStenger (2014). The diversity ofmaterials is well-illustrated in Clayand Court’s discussion of theevolution of the Culpeper form(The History of the Microscope,1932, pp. 108-129). $2950.

10. AN ART NOUVEAUSTAND, French, c. late 19thcentury. Extending from 9-3/4” to 11-3/8” (29 cm) tall,this lovely stand has a ratherelegant Art Nouveau styletripod base and recurved limbof tan-enameled cast iron. Theother fittings are in contrastingbright lacquered and blackenedbrass, and feature rack andpinion focus, double objective,“squiggle work” stage,substage wheel of stops, choiceof concave silvered mirror orflat white plaster diffuser,moveable slide support, livebox, and tweezers. Conditionis very fine to excellentthroughout, complete with theoriginal mahogany case withdrawer. $850.

* * *

11. UNUSUAL AQUARIUM / TANK MICROSCOPE, English/German, c. 1885, signedon the superstructure “C. Baker, 244 High Holborn, London” and on the base “J. Klönne& G. Müller, Berlin, No. 2110.” The assembly stands 13-3/4” (35 cm) tall, withweighted nickel-plated pillar stand supporting a blackened brass frame holding a 4” x 4-1/2” x 1/2” (10 x 11 x 1.3 cm) glass “aquarium,” open at the top. One face of the frameis covered by a large blackened brass plate with nickel-plated fittings. This dovetailedplate slides horizontally, and has a vertical slot with slider carrying a circular aperture(with choice of two diameters). The aperture can thus be positioned over any point inthe aquarium, and serves to block stray light. Clamped by thumbscrew to the pillar is thesimple microscope, a magnifier on triple-jointed linkage with counterweight and controlknobs, thus positionable anywhere in the field. Rack and pinion control allows focusingover a wide range. This linkage is constructed of blackened brass with bright lacqueredfittings. The apparatus is in fine condition throughout, fully functional.

This fine and very unusual microscope is based on Rousselet’s Tank Microscopedesign as made by Baker (see Hogg, 1898, and late 19th century Baker catalogues), andwith Prof. Schultze’s improvement constructed by Klönne and Müller(Carpenter/Dallinger, 1891). It allows real time study of living aquatic animals, plants,and small organisms. $2950.

12. HAND-HELD BEALE-TYPEDEMONSTRATION MICROSCOPE,English, c. 1865, signed “C. Collins,

Optician, 77 G’t. Titchfield St., London W.” on the main tube and “C36” on theobjective. This substantial brass microscope extends from 8-3/4” to 14-3/4” (22 - 37 cm)by focusing drawtube and extension tube. It is equipped with original ocular andobjective, giving fine images. A clamp ring permits tension adjustment on the drawtubefor fixing the coarse focus position. Fine focus is by adjusting the eye extension tubeposition. At the specimen end a spring steel clip holds slides in place, and an oval cutouton the side allows illumination of opaque specimens. Condition is excellent, notingsome small scratches to the fine original lacquer finish.

This is a rare example of the clinical demonstration microscope invented c. 1860 byLionel S. Beale, Professor of Physiology at King’s College. It could be passedconveniently from student to student, or used by the field naturalist, etc. Carpenter, inThe Microscope (1868) explains that it was also supplied mounted horizontally on awood board, directly facing an adjustable oil lamp. Beale himself (How to Work with theMicroscope, 1868) devotes three pages and several figures to its description and possibleuses, even proposing that the present handheld “Pocket or Clinical microscope” could bearranged in multiples forclassroom use, andillustrates four mounted inparallel, as well as eight inan octagonal piece offurniture surrounding asingle lamp. (see back coverof this catalogue)

Beale’s form is quiterare, even though Carpenterand Beale indicate that itwas made by several of theprincipal London makers.Downing finds CharlesCollins located at thisaddress from 1863 to 1870.

$2800.

13. SILVER-MOUNTED HIGHMAGNIFICATION SOLIDLENS, probably English, c. secondquarter 19th century, unsigned butattributable to Francis West. The5/8” thick lens has two convexsurfaces of different curvature (theStanhope form), mounted in silvercell to silver wire handle, 1-7/8” (4.8cm) overall. Working distance isvery small, and different dependingupon the direction of view; with themore curved surface towards the

eye, the less curved must be essentially in contact with the specimen. Magnification isvery high, as much as with many compound microscope outfits of the period. Conditionis very fine, complete with original fitted case bound in red Morocco leather, noting thehinge parted.

The inventor and maker was presumably Francis West of London, who describedhimself as successor to Dudley Adams. See, e.g.,Tesseract Catalogue 98, Item 8,microscope #91. An unusual instrument for field exploration, in fine condition. $1250.

14. SIX SPECIAL SLIDE PREPARATIONS, English, c. last quarter 19th century, eachunder cover glass, on 1” x 3” glass slide.

a) Iridescent Butterfly, “Wing of MorphoMenelaus: W.E. Richardson, Preparer.” $40.b) Artistic Gnats, “Heads of Male Gnats, Culex pipiens, H.W.H. Darlaston, Birmingham,Preparer, Birchfield,” the eight in artistic symmetry. $95.c) “Cloth of Egyptian Mummy.” $60.d) Miniature Starfish Skeleton, “Marine Zoology, Five Rayed Starfish, Asterias rubens,”mounted on dark blue glass. $65.e) Whole Beetle, “Larva of Colorado Beetle, Doryphora decemlineata, W. Watson &Sons, 313 High Holborn, London.” $45.f) Spectacular Insect, “Cercopis Sanguinolenta, male, Prize Medal 1867.” $90.

* * * * * DIALLING * * * * *

15. EARLY SCAPHE DIAL, Northern Italian, probably Florence, c. second half 16thcentury, unsigned but probably by Stefano Buonsignori. This rare turned woodinstrument is 2-5/8” (7 cm) in diameter, with concave scaphe dial, central pin gnomon ofbrass, and miniature glazed compass, the brass-pivoted shaped iron needle only 1/4”long. The dial is laid out with curving hour lines representing Italian hours (an equalhour system dividing the day into 24 parts starting at sunset), numbered from 10 to 24(i.e., for the daylight hours) and crossed by three seasonal lines. The dial is beautifullydecorated with the original gesso, gilding over a thin plaster-like binding layer,highlighted with green and red enamels in floral patterns. This is characteristic of earlywork in Florence, and reminiscent of Florentine polyhedral dials in the Museo Galileo.Such early Italian dials are very rarely seen on the market. This one is in fine condition,noting an old repair to the compass cell, some chipping to the gesso, and lacking a dialcover.

Later scaphe dials from Northern Italy do appear from time to time, but such earlyworks of Buonsignori and his contemporaries are almost unknown outside museums.Stefano Buonsignori was in fact a monk and cartographer appointed Cosmographer byGrand Duke Francesco I de’ Medici. In this role he painted 52 maps of all the knownworld on doors in the palace, and in the Museo Galileo collections we find a splendidmultiple scaphe dial, and an important quadrant, both signed by him, and with worksimilar to the present dial. A charming and very rare example. $2400.

16. SIXTEENTH CENTURY SUNDIAL, probably Flemish or Wallonian, 1586, signed“LE*W*G*” and “F*N” and dated. Made of hammered brass 5-3/4” (15 cm) square, thedial is well executed, scribed with bold lines every half hour from 4am to 8pm withscratch (layout?) lines at the quarter hours, and hand stamped with the hours, initials,date, and star punch decorations. We note with amusement that the maker produced four“I” punches at the 5pm line, before hammering that out and using his “V” punch.Condition is fine noting some denting and very old loss of the tip of the gnomon. Thebrass has a fine dark brownish-green patina throughout, and there are remains of very oldiron mounting screws. The gnomon angle is approximately 52°, and the hour lines arelaid out for a latitude of 51° - 52°. Thus the dial was constructed for a latitude passingthrough London, Antwerp, Köln, etc. On stylistic and linguistic grounds, it must beContinental, most likely Flemish or Wallonian. Sixteenth century scientific instrumentsare difficult to find, this one a fine example of the window or garden dial, fully dated, byan as yet unidentified maker. ex: Gerard Turner collection. $4950.

17. IMPORTANT HORARYQUADRANT FRAGMENT, Italian, c.1560’s, probably by Giusti, dated 15__.This ivory plate, measuring 4-1/4” x 2-1/4” x 1/8” (11 x 6 x 0.3 cm), is thefinely crafted central portion of acomplex horary quadrant designed formeasuring and calculating solar altitude,time of day, heights of structures,calendrical events, etc. Near the bottomis a degree quadrant divided everydegree and numbered counterclockwise“...10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40...” Thecentral area is crossed by “horizontal”arcs of dates emanating from calendricaledge scales and labeled “LineaMeridiana” giving months “Cem [forDecember], Ian, Feb, Mar, Apr, Ma, Iv,”and giving Zodiacal houses “Pr, Pis, Ari,Tav, Gem, Ge, Ca.” These date arcs arecrossed by two sets of “vertical” arcs ofhours labeled “...11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16,17, 18, 19,” and “...23, 22, 21, 20, 19,18, 17.” These represent Italianmorning hours and afternoon hours,respectively. In the upper left is ashadow square centered by a circulartable which gives the hour of noon (inItalian hours, which divided the day into24 equal hours starting at sunset)throughout the year, and which showsthe correspondence with months andZodiacal signs. On the right side wefind a partial inscription identifying thisas an horary quadrant, for latitudeXL___ degrees and X_ minutes

(probably 43°30’ or 43°40’, and thus Florence or environs), and with a 16th century date15__. Condition of the plaque is good, noting some age curvature, and scratches to theplain back side.

The maker was probably Giovanni Battista Giusti, mathematical instrument makerworking in Florence in the Grand Duke’s workshops, in the second half 16th century.Gerard Turner did a major study of Giusti’s extant products, and found four signed, plus

a remarkable 22 attributable to him on the basis ofdetailed shapes of number punches, and otherconsistencies (Nuncius X, 131 - 172, The FlorentineWorkshop of Giovanni Battista Giusti, 1556 - c.1575). Included are a number of horary quadrants,a nocturnal, a radio latino, and even the magnificent83 cm diameter “Galileo” astrolabe. We add thepresent instrument to this inventory, and note itssimilarity to a signed and dated (1565) brass one(#9 in Anthony Turner’s 2007 Catalogue ofSundials,...) housed in today’s Museo Galileo inFlorence.

An important survival.

ex: Peter Brophy collection. $3950.

18. COMPASS / SUNDIAL WITH UNUSUAL IMAGERY, English, c. early 18th century,the 3-1/4” (8 cm) diameter turned brass case containing glazed compass with finelyshaped blued needle and printed 16-point rose with delicate floral and running leaf tipdecoration plus circumferential scale of degrees. Overlying this is a brass sundial withchapter ring divided every 15 minutes from 4am until 8pm, and with hinged gnomondesigned for 51° - 52° North latitude (thus that of London). Inside the lid is mounted adifferent, 32-point printed rose, with degree scale and wonderful central iconography ofa winged sandglass on support, surmounted by a skull, all symbolic of the inevitabilityof the passage of time. Condition is very fine, seemingly untouched for 300 years, notingonly the general brown patina to the brass. $1500.

* * * * * NAVIGATION * * * * *

19. SIGHTING QUADRANT, English, c. early 19th century. This all-brass instrumentstands 6-1/4” (16 cm) tall, with cross-hair equipped sighting tube moving in altitude overthe 0(1)90 degree quadrant, and swinging freely in azimuth on the short pillar mount.Sighting horizontally the scale reads 0°; vertically, 90°. Thus we have a straightforwardastronomical quadrant measuring angular altitudes of celestial bodies as well astopographic features, buildings, etc. But a small scale, with index pointer, on the reversetells a further story, and speaks of probable maritime use. Covering altitudes of less than8°, this scale is divided from 500 yards to 2000 yards and beyond. The 500 yard markcorresponds to about 7.°25, which is the angular height of an object about 190 feet tall,at that distance. Few things on land have such a typical height but it is a reasonableestimate for the mast heights of the tallest sailing ships. For example, we find in 1830the 1300 ton merchant ship had a main mast of 179 feet. Contained in a somewhatstained simple pine box, this unusual instrument is in very fine condition. $1350.

20. FINELY SHAPED SINGLE-HANDED CHART DIVIDERS, European, c. 17thcentury. Made of two pieces of iron, hand wrought and filed, decoratively cut and rivetedtogether, these early navigator's dividers measure 7-1/2” (19 cm) overall. They are mostattractive, with thin legs topped by zig-zag cut decoration, and extraordinary waviform

head. Condition is fine noting overall light oxidation. A veryspecial early example. $950.

21. A TRUE LEFT-HANDED SEXTANT, probably German, c. 1800, made of goldenlacquered brass with blackened brass fittings, and an overall height of 7-3/8” (19 cm).The scale, which of necessity runs backwards, i.e., counterclockwise, on this left-handedsextant, is divided every degree from 0 to 124. The index arm carries a ten-arcminutevernier; a peep sight with swing-away lens / filter is mounted near the index mirror; thehalf-silvered horizon mirror is mounted very close to the divided limb. A lovely turnedwood handle screws into the frame from the left side. Condition is very fine noting a fewscratches to the finish and some tarnishing to the ends of the (unlacquered, as usual)scale.

The first left-handed sextant we have had, it operates as any ordinary sextant exceptthat everything is reversed, all for the convenience of lefties (who make upapproximately 10% of the world’s population). It seems to be a somewhat larger butnearly exact reversal of the right-handed sextants by Brander, illustrated on pp. 126 and127 in Brachner’s 1983 G.F. Brander, 1713-1783, Wissenschaftliche Instrumente ausseiner Werkstatte. The only other left-handed sextant we have seen, and that many yearsago, was a full English one by that particularly innovative maker, John Benjamin Dancer.

$3800.

2 2 . E X C E P T I O N A LD I R E C T- P L O T -TING SEXTANT,Austrian, c.1840,signed “C.E. Kraft inWien.” This lovelysextant measures 5-3/4” tall and 6” (15cm) wide overall, ofclear lacquered brasswith blued steelscrews and shapedwood handle. It isfitted with clampableindex arm and mirror,half-silvered horizonmirror rotatable bythumbscrew below,and sighting tube.The angular scale isdivided directly on thebrass, every degreefrom 0 to 140 (butuseable only to 122° making this a true sextant); readout is against a spring-loadedscrew-adjustable vernier on the index arm, divided every four arcminutes. This fine littlesextant has an added direct-plotting feature, with a fixed shaped steel tip on the bodycorresponding to the 0° position, and a similar tip on the index arm. Condition isexcellent, near new throughout.

With this instrument any angular separation can be immediately plotted as adistance on chart paper. The conversion is in fact quite simple; at 45° the points are

exactly 5 cm apart, and at 90°, 10 cm. We have seena few other sextants with this feature, noting a similarone by Kraft but with a different vernier geometry(Bennett, 1987, The Divided Circle, Fig. 99), one byLenoir of Paris, and one by Brander and Höschel(Kern, 2010, vol. 3, item 143). The quality ofworkmanship and finish is like that of Pister andMartins in Berlin (see Tesseract Catalogue 94 Item25). Carol Eduard Kraft established his instrumentworkshop in Vienna in 1823, and is listed indirectories through mid-century. He followed in thefine traditions of craftsmanship of Voigtländer and ofStarke. $3500.

* * * * * SURVEYING AND DRAFTING * * * * *

23. MAGNIFICENT EIGHTEENTH CENTURY SURVEYING AND DRAFTINGOUTFIT BY CANIVET, French, c. 1760. All four brass instruments are hand-engravedand signed in flowing script “Canivet à la Sphère à Paris.” The graphometer is verylarge, measuring 13” (33 cm) overall, standing 9” (23 cm) high with its staff mount, withfour sight vanes, two vernier arcs, and an inset compass. The graphometer is highlydecorated, most prominent being the two cut out capital “ C’s” (for “Canivet”) whichform part of the structure of the main plate, and which are beautifully decorated withfloral patterns. The folding sector opens to 13” long, and carries scales for computationsof areas of figures, densities of metals, weights of bullets, calibers of cannon, etc. The

folding square is 6-7/8” on a side, with variousscales including “Demi pied de Roi” and asuspension for a plumb bob. The protractor is 3-7/8” long with a 180° scale. The set dates fromcirca 1760, at which time Canivet was consideredthe best French instrument maker, and is in finecondition throughout. The graphometer itself isspectacular. $6500.

SURVEYING APPARATUS FIT FOR A KING

24. IMPORTANT SIGHTINGALIDADE, probably German, c.17th century, the gilt brassinstrument based on a heavyrectangular rule 14-3/8” x 1-7/16” x1/8” (36.5 x 3.6 x 0.3 cm). The ruleis divided with scales of inches (0 -9) and half-inches (0 - 9) plustransversal interpolation gridsdivided to 0.01 and 0.005 inchesrespectively. At each end ismounted a sprung double-plate sightvane erecting on seven-leaf hingeand secured by tiny thumb screw.The vanes have matching openrectangles crossed by verticalsighting bars, plus unusualmatching open three-quarter circleswith vertical as well as horizontal

sighting edges. Inner and outer surfaces of the vanes are covered with intense floral andgeometric engraving. On one edge of the rule is a removable thumb screw. Condition isexcellent noting light wear to the gilding.

In terms of craftsmanship and decoration, the present sighting alidade comparesfavorably with many of the highly decorated instruments commissioned in the 16th and17th centuries by European Courts (see, for example, ones in the Dresden Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon, illustrated in Grötzsch & Karpinski, 1978). We might localize thealidade by the inch length on the rule, which is 29.3mm or about 1.15 times the Englishinch. As Gilliland (SIS Bulletin #20, pp. 7-17) pointed out, there was enormous variation

from town to town in Europe. The presentmeasure is close to those used in Venice and inPadua, but also in Krakow and in Russia. Agreat many European measures, however, areeasily excluded. $9500.

25. EARLY CONTINENTAL PANTOGRAPH, c. early 18th century. This diminutivedrafting instrument is contained in its original finely shaped and fitted wood case boundin dark leather with gilt-stamped decoration to the lid, the interior lined with red chamoisleather, the case 10-5/8” (27 cm) long overall. The brass pantograph is substantiallybuilt, designed with opposed hinged “V” shapes which join in widely-adjustable integralpositions (*, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8) on each of the four arms. The larger “V” has one polished steelfoot (which rests at a fixed point established by a hole in the fitting which screws into thewood of a drafting table), a brass foot which slides on the table, and a sharp tracer pointto follow a drawing or chart. The smaller “V” rides along, with a pencil holder at itsapex, making a reduced or enlarged copy. The brass nuts and thumb pins are all craftedin lovely early decorative shapes. Condition is very fine and complete noting minorstains to the brass and some wear to the case.

Hambly traces the origin of the pantograph to a wood parallelogram design givinga 1:2 reduction, as published by Christoph Scheiner in 1631. Later versions withadjustable intersections gave a choice of alternative reduction ratios. By the mid-18thcentury the pantograph became very popular in England, especially in brass, and wasproduced by all the major instrument makers. It was less common in France, althoughhigh quality ones with arms of ebony are encountered. Here we have a very rare andprobably very early example from the Continent. $4500.

26. COMPLEX BOOK-FORM SURVEYING OUTFIT, German, c. 1882. An 8-3/4” x 4-3/4” (22 x 12 cm) “book,” bound in green fabric with gold stamping, contains the four-segment hinged card instrument signed “Pressler’s Ingenieur-Messknecht, Tharand,Dresden” and covered on every available surface with printed scales, equations, etc. Setup it forms a three dimensional hand-held instrument for use with plumb bob in sightingthe sun, in surveying, etc. Included are illustrated instruction sheets, advertising sheets,solar declination tables, and bound in the book 110 pages of tables and articles. There isan 1882 presentation in manuscript. Condition is fine noting some supplementalaccessories lacking.

Max Pressler’s device was especially recommended for timber measure in forestry,but in fact is quite a universal instrument. Unusual. $1450.

2 7 . U N U S U A LS U R V E Y I N GRECTANGLES,Italian, c. early18th c. Con-structed somewhatlike a grapho-meter, but in ac a g e - w o r kc o n s t r u c t i o nincorporating thesight vanes, thisa l l - b r a s s

instrument measures 6-1/8” x 3-1/2” x 2” (16 x 9 x 5 cm) with a 4-7/8” tall staff mount.The main plate has a semicircular scale divided every degree from 0 to 180, with stampednumerals every 10°. Opposing slit sight vanes rise at each end, and are joined at theirtops with a brass plate including a smaller semicircle divided every quarter hour from 9“am” through 12 to 3 “pm.” Within this rectangle pivots the smaller “alidade” rectangle,with its opposed slit vanes, inset steel pointer reading against the large semicircle, andfinely shaped brass “fleur-de-lys” pointerreading against the upper, smaller semicircle.The scale on the latter is the old fashion ofdefining directions on a circular hour scale(although this is usually twice-12 hours). Thewhole assembly can be pinned to a vertical staffmount which has the unusual feature of abulbous surveying square (with four narrowvertical slits spaced every 90°) built into it.Condition is fine, noting an old splint repair toone sight, and the brass darkened and stained.The whole is contained in a recent fitted woodcase lined in chamois leather.

This unusual early instrument was found in,and probably made in, Northern Italy, perhaps inBrescia or Bergamo in Lombardy, c. 1730. Wehave seen no other instrument like it. $5500.

28. EXUBERANTLY ENGRAVED FRENCH FOLDING SQUARE, c.1680,flamboyantly signed “Butterfield à Paris,” “Demy Pied De Roy” and “Echelle.” This 6-5/8” (16.8 cm) long brass rule opens to make a right angle, with notch for plumb linewhen used as a level. The arms have scales of one half the King’s foot (0 - 6 King’sinches, the ends subdivided to twelfths), and a linear scale (0 - 190 units by tens, plus onesection by ones). These divisions are intriguing, there being approximately 35 units perKing’s inch; other French folding squares are found with such single “Echelle” scales,yet of completely different unit size (see, e.g., Tesseract Catalogue 96, Item 29 with 27units/inch). Condition is fine with minor spotting. A good rule, and a fine example ofone of Michael Butterfield’s (1635 - 1724) earliest and most elegant signatures. $1850.

* * * * * CALCULATION * * * * *

29. E X T R A O R D I -NARY COM-PARISON RULE,French, c. 17thcentury, the 5-5/8”(14 cm) long brassrule beveled on both long edges and finely shaped on one end with symmetrical recurveddesign. The two sides are superbly crafted with details of linear measurement, usingsome of the smallest and finest hand engraving we have encountered. One carries a“table pour mesurer toutte sorte des pays” with the relative lengths of 36(!) different localmeasures. The Rhine foot (“Pied du rhin”) is taken as standard at 1000, and thus theAmsterdam foot is 904, Cambray 987, Venise 1120, etc. On the reverse is engraved ascale of “4 Pouls du Rhin” (i.e., 4 Rhine inches), the ends of the scale subdivided bytransversals reading to 0.01” and to 0.005”, respectively. Condition is excellentthroughout.

A remarkable comparison rule, with the finest engraving. $2750.

30. UNUSUAL SECTOR BY BRANDER, German, c. third quarter 18th century, finelysigned on the brass sector hinge “G.F. Brander.” This large sector opens to a full 25-3/4”(65 cm), finely made with arms of boxwood, three leaf sector hinge of brass and steel,and brass terminals on the ends. The arms bear twin sector scales of equal parts, dividedevery unit from 0 to 200, punch-numbered every 10 units. Condition is excellent exceptfor considerable warping of the arms.

Georg Friedrich Brander (1713 - 1783) was probably the finest and most prolificGerman scientific instrument maker of his time, constructing a wide variety ofinnovative astronomical instruments, microscopes, surveying, navigation, anddemonstration instruments, etc., and publishing extensively on the subject (see Brachneret al., 1983). No single-purpose sector like the present one is evident in the extraordinarycollections described by Brachner,but in a famous painting Branderseems to be holding just such aninstrument (Brachner p.23).

The sector’s double “line oflines,” as it is often called, isparticularly useful for subdividing,using a pair of dividers, any givenline into any number of equal parts, orin fact to solve for proportional parts.A good description is found inHutton’s A Philosophical andMathematical Dictionary (1815).

$2400.

31. SEVENTEENTH CENTURY CALCU-LATING RULE, English, 1650, signedby the maker “Tho. Pockley fe., A’o.1650,” and also “Edvardus,” and scratchsigned by a later owner, presumably,“W.T. 1761.” This brass rule measures 9-7/8” x 1-3/8” (25 x 3.5 cm), and is hand engraved throughout. The “front,” withPockley’s name, has a very finely divided numbered scale of equal parts with transversalinterpolations. It is divided in English inches and half-inches, plus the transversal grids,giving divisions to 0.01” on the inch scale, and to 0.005” on the half-inch scale. Thereverse has two even finer grids, beautifully ruled and numbered. One is of equal partsdividing quarter inches to hundredths, or 0.0025”, the other a seemingly nonlinear scalewith interpolation. Two tables are executed in a coarser hand, probably that of Edvardus,but of the same time period (judging by the same classically 17th century Englishnumeral shapes). There is a complete 9 x 9 grid giving a full multiplication table, and asurveying table of “P, R, Lin” giving the number of square Lin(ks) as a function ofP(erches) and R(oods) (for further detail see our explanation of the table on a 1661compass card by Henry Sutton, Tesseract Catalogue 87, Item 29). Condition is fine withminor wear.

A good candidate for the maker is one Thomas Pockley, student at Cambridge’sTrinity College. We find various traces of him, entered as a subsizar (a sort of work-study position in relief of tuition payment) 1645/6, admitted scholar 1649, receiving £5that year for “haveing done something w’ch is usefull in the Library,” B.A. 1649/50,Fellow 1650, M.A. 1653, receiving three years’ leave to travel (and with traveler’sexpenses!) in 1651. In 1654 the important physician and naturalist, Henry Power, writesto Pockley of the joy of having studied at Cambridge with all the wide-rangingdiscourses “Physicall mathematicall & Anatomicall.” And in 1658 we find John Rayplanning a series of chemical experiments with Pockley. He is recorded as Tutor atTrinity in 1661, just eight years before Isaac Newton (who had also been a subsizar there)was first recorded as Tutor. It is intriguing to imagine a senior Pockley instructingNewton with this rule! $4800.

32. GENAILLE’S RODS -- A PERFECTED FORM OF CALCULATING RODS FORMULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION, French, 1885, signed on the card box “LesRéglettes Multiplicatrices, Appareils à Calculs Exacts et Instantanés pour Simplifier laMultiplication et la Division. Inventés par Henri Genaille et Perfectionnés par EdouardLucas,” published in Paris by E. Belin. The ten wood rods, each 6-3/4” (17 cm) long,are covered on all four sides with printed paper columns, and are used in conjunctionwith the fixed rod. The results are instantaneous, for numbers as large as ten digits. Theset is complete and in excellent condition, the original box with instructions, fine.

These rather complex rods each present, using the four sides, tables and diagramsfor four different digits (identified on the top and bottom of each rod). There are ninerows, aligning with the numerals 2 through 9 on the left-most (fixed) rod. Black trianglesalign with graded columns of digits to give multiplication tables, etc. In use, formultiplication one simply selects the rods to form any multiplicand, starts with the right-most digit, and follows the path of the triangles to read out the result.

The inventors developed various aides for calculation, all apparently published in1885. We have had their“Réglettes Néperiennes(Tesseract Catalogue 72,Item 41), their “Finan-cières” rods for com-mercial calculations (36/47), their ‘Multi-sectrices” for division(47/51), and now for thefirst time their stunningset of “Multiplicatrices.”An extremely rare,ingenious variant.

$3950.

* * * * * DEMONSTRATION, EXPERIMENTATION, ETC. * * * * *

33. THE “TOURNIQUET HYDRALIQUE” --A DEMONSTRATION WATER MOTOR,probably French, c. third quarter 18th century,

this a remarkable example of Revolutionary design, with fine painted images of waterscenes. The device stands 23-1/4” (59 cm) in overall height, and 20” (51 cm) across. Thebase and framework are constructed of beautifully grained hardwood, perhaps Frenchwalnut. The frame supports a rotatable cone shaped as a quiver full of arrows, and alower 12” (30 cm) diameter pan, both made of sheet steel and painted blue-green withgolden highlights, and with painted scenes of waterside activities (loading a smallsailboat, fishing under a bridge, washing clothes, net fishing at sea, ferrying past homeand windmill, and reaping the harvest of the sea beside a light house). The theme ofwater world is ubiquitous, the paintings in a Mediterranean spirit of the third quarter 18thcentury. Various clues are given by the styles of costumes, hairdos, boat trappings, etc.The instrument is likely Southern French, or possibly Italian or Spanish. Such painteddecoration of scientific instruments is reminiscent of that of Abbé Nollet (1700 - 1770),although his decor was almost invariably floral (see Pyenson & Gauvin, The Art ofTeaching Physics, 2002). Condition is fine noting a little worming to the wood, and somerather minor retouching of background paint.

The tourniquet is a fine demonstration of the conversion of potential energy tokinetic energy. One lifts a pitcher of water up in the air, against the force of gravity, poursit through the funnel on top, where it enters the hollow cone, exiting through right angledholes at the ends of the arms below. The exiting water is collected in the lower pan;meanwhile the entire cone assembly spins as the arms “recoil” from the exiting water.The higher the liquid in the cone, the greater the pressure and thus the faster the rotation.It is a form of physics demonstration instrument that was popular from the 18th centuryinto the 20th. This example is the finest we have seen, a wonderful combination of artand science. $14,500.

34. TWELVE PLATES FROM THE MAGNIFICENT BILORAT AND MORATRADE CATALOGUE, French, c. 1860’s. Each large plate measures approximately12” x 18” (30 x 46 cm), mounted on card 16-1/2” x 22-1/2”. The plates are engraved andlithographed by Willaeys, and printed by Leroy at 66 r. des Marais in Paris. They arecolored and preserved with a wonderful freshness, depicting a wide range of electricdevices including hand-cranked and liquid-battery-powered electro-medical devices(with one known as the “American apparatus”), galvanoplasty and telegraph instruments,Ramsden electrostatic machine, etc.

The constructors were established at 57 rue du Faubourg St. Denis in Paris, and hadan outlet in London. We find record of Biloret at that address in 1864, but find the firmat 93 blvd. Richard-Lenoir in an 1883 electrical directory. Biloret and Mora seem to havebeen significant Parisian manufacturers of early and ingenious electrical devices, butrarely if ever signed their products.

An exquisite group, in excellent condition. $2500./the group of 12

35. A FINE PEDOMETER, English, c. 1825,signed on the dial face “Bate, London.” Thislarge 2-3/8” (6 cm) diameter watch case has afine engine-turned gilt brass case, hingeddomed watch crystal, white enameled dial withtwo hands reading against scales of 0(1)100and 0(100)10,000 respectively, pull chainactivating the gearwork, cage-like suspension,and watch key for resetting the hands.

Condition is very fine noting only tiny chipping to the very center of the dial face.The maker was undoubtedly Robert Brettell Bate (1782-1847), important London

maker of rules, weights, measures, and scientific instruments in general. We find noother record of a Bate pedometer, but in 1824 he authored (with Hase) Description of thePatent Improved Treadmill...to which is added the description of the gyrometer orcalculator. This was designed to register the exact amount of labor performed byprisoners, and was constructed for the Society for the Improvement of Prison Discipline(see the Bate monograph by McConnell, 1993). Thus Bate was very much involved inmeasuring distances walked or run. $1950.

36. TRAVELING READING TELESCOPE FOR LABORATORY RESEARCH,probably English, c. early 19th century. This lacquered brass instrument has a threadedassembly (for attachment to stand, not present) with spirit level, the assembly carrying a22-1/2” (57 cm) long sliding and clampable cylindrical rod labeled every inch (anddivided every tenth inch) from 0” to 17”. A vernier is divided to hundredths of an inch.A threaded fitting on one end of the rod carries a small telescope with achromaticobjective and right angle eyepiece with internal mirror. This gives good erect images andfocuses by drawtube over a broad range from infinity to as close as three feet. Theapparatus is in excellent condition, contained in the original, now somewhat worn, fittedpine case, with finely shaped brass escutcheon.

The reading telescope, with its calibrated horizontal travel and close-focusingpossibilities, was especially designed for accurate readout of galvanometer deflections,especially for the mirror type as developed by Poggendorff in 1826, and patented byWilliam Thompson in 1858. Here we have a fine and particularly early example of thetelescope system. $950.

* * * * * TECHNOLOGY AND INVENTION * * * * *

37. NOVEL PIE CRIMPER -- ANORIGINAL U.S. PATENTMODEL, American, 1863,signed in ink by the inventor“Herbert Marshall, Dracut,Mass.” Well crafted of three woods, this 7” (18 cm) long full size model has a fine turnedhandle which swivels, curved brace block to follow the curvature of a pie plate, and thecut wheel with repeating patterns of lines and circles to impress a professional lookingdesign on the dough all around the circumference of the unbaked pie crust top. Conditionis very fine, complete with well-framed reproductions of the patent drawings,specifications, and claims.

Mr. Marshall was awarded U.S. patent 37,761 on 24 February 1863 for his novel“Improved Pie-Stamp” with its swivel handle and “lever-guide” by which “the edges ofthe crusts of pies...can be easily and rapidly pressed together and stamped with ahandsome border or figure,...in a neater and more effective manner than it can be doneby hand or the ordinary methods.” $850.

38. FIRST PRIZE SILVER MEDAL, English, 1888, the finely struck heavy diskmeasuring 2” (5 cm) in diameter. The prize was awarded to (and so engraved) HenryKent for carpentry and joinery, by the City and Guilds of London Institute. The frontbears, in highly detailed relief, the coats of arms of the city of London and of the 16livery companies, many of them incorporating tools of the trade. Unique, and in veryfine condition. $325.

39. MICHELL’S PATENT VISCOMETER, English / Australian, c. 1920, signed on thelid including the UK patent number (117234). Contained in the 6-7/8” (17 cm) widefitted mahogany case is a hollow steel cylinder with hard rubber grip and lower weightedsteel assembly with three tiny polished steel grasping “pads” arranged on a cup-likesegment of a sphere. There is also a polished steel ball which mates to these pads, a 0 -100° C. thermometer, and instruction sheet. The outfit is complete and in fine condition.

To determine the viscosity of lubricating oils or other liquids, one places a coupleof drops on the pads, and noting the temperature of the unit, presses the ball onto thepads, quickly inverts the assembly, and measures precisely the time required for the ballto drop free of the cup. That duration in seconds, divided by the constant of theinstrument (engraved on its plaque), gives the true viscosity of the liquid in C.G.S. units.Patented in the UK in 1918, it is the invention of A.G.M. Michell of Melbourne. $295.

* * * * * MEDICAL * * * * *

40. ELEGANT LORGNETTE WITH TINTED LENSES, French, c. 1880, marked witha poinçon certification. These glasses spring out of a beautiful little 3-1/2” (9 cm) longcase of gilt sterling silver decorated (differently on the two sides) with flowers andrococo surrounds to finely ruled geometric patterns. The glasses themselves haverectangular glass lenses of low correction and blue tint, and are hinged and pivoted tocollapse within the pendant case. In very fine condition, these are a most elegantwoman’s accessory. The tiny poinçon stamp is that of a boar’s head as introduced in1838 for marking small articles, certifying them as 800/1000 silver. Blue lenses werepopular, as sunglasses providing more monochromatic vision, emphasizing structurerather than color aspects of the scene. $760.

41. BEAUTIFUL DENTAL APPLIANCES IN MOTHER-OF-PEARL, American, c.third quarter 19th century, unsigned but by S.S. White of Philadelphia. These are thelargest of the elegantly worked dental appliances offered by the firm, the mirror 9-5/8”(24 cm) overall, with its engraved and pierced patterns set with three stones, the scissors10” (25 cm) with similarly worked fish handles with inset eyes, the steel work itselfprovided by (and so signed) J. Biddle of New York. Condition is fine except for somechipping to the scissors handle, and oxidation of the blades.

The maker was most certainly the Samuel S. White Dental Manufacturing Co.,established in 1844 in Philadelphia, growing to become the major Americanmanufacturer and supplier of dental instrumentation. Their 19th century cataloguesquoted instruments with handles of (in order of increasing price): steel, bleached bone,ebony, walrus, buffalo, ivory, cameo, burgos, and finally mother-of-pearl. Their 1867and 1876 catalogues, for example, illustrate dental mirrors mounted in highly workedmother-of-pearl. The scissors were offered with handles in Dog, Bird, Scroll, andDolphin patterns. They claimed “Having unequaled facilities for the manufacture ofarticles in this line, ourassortment is the mostextensive in the world.” Thefirm indeed won “FirstPremium” awards at the greatWorld's Fairs andInternational Exhibitions,claiming 69 such awards by1876. $1800./the set.

42. SET OF EXHIBITION QUALITY ORTHOPEDIC SURGICAL TOOLS, French,third quarter 19th century, all nine pieces signed “Lüer” or “Lüer à Paris.” Lengths rangefrom 6” to 8-1/2” (15 - 22 cm), and both quality and condition are remarkable. There arefour snips in polished steel with beautifully feather-ridged locking handles and withsprings and fittings of blued and gilt steel. The snips are spring loaded, with automaticlocking hinge activated by the same spring; the sharp curved blades mate exactly. Inaddition there are four polished steel knives or scalpels, with handles of laminated ivoryand steel, as well as a slim ivory-handled saw. Condition throughout is superb, as new.There is no case, as with most of theLüer exhibition items, which mayhave been originally displayed onpanels.

These instruments came to us bydescent from the original collectionof exhibition pieces made and held by the Lüer firm, being their finest productions,shown at the great national and international exhibitions of the 19th century. We havebeen fortunate to have handled several of their exhibition items. all of which present assubstantial, beautiful, sculptural objects. We note the luxation device for dislocatedfingers (Tesseract Catalogue 82 Item 38), the bullet extractor (82/39,), and their

exhibition tourniquet (84/38).$3200./the set

43. EXQUISITE HOME DENTAL SET IN PRECIOUS MATERIALS, French, c. 1810,stamped with certification poinçon and maker’s mark. The 5-1/2” x 3-1/2” x 3/4” (14 x9 x 2 cm) domed wood case is bound in red Morocco leather and lined in blue silk andvelvet. It has seven fitted compartments holding tools exquisitely crafted in gold-platedsilver (vermeil), steel, and mother-of-pearl. There is a wonderful toothbrush handle withseparate brush, a tongue scraper, folding gum knives (?), and double compartmented boxfor dentifrice, etc. The handles and covers are inlaid with gilt shield-shapes. Conditionis very fine throughout, all original, noting one small tool missing.

The poinçon mark used here (the fasces with axe head protruding mid-way) is forParis work, 1809 - 1819, used on objects of small size as guarantee of silver-gilt or silver.The maker’s mark is perhaps that of Claude Garand, Parisian silversmith active from1807 until 1822.

We have had a number of sets for home oral hygiene, but this is by far the finest andmost luxurious one. It may be compared with that featured on the cover of ElisabethBennion’s 1986 book Antique Dental Instruments. $2950.

RITTENHOUSE JOURNALS AND TESSERACT CATALOGUES

44. RITTENHOUSE, JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTENTERPRISE, 1987-2009, the complete 23-year run of volumes 1 through 23 (70 issues total). A FEW FULL SETS STILL AVAILABLE. $900.

45. SCIENCE AND EARLY JAMESTOWN, 2007, a RITTENHOUSE 80-page special within-depth studies of scientific instruments and activities in this first English settlementin the New World (published on Jamestown’s 400th anniversary). $30.

46. SICU2 CONFERENCE PAPERS, 2008, a RITTENHOUSE special volume consisting of two 112-page issues, edited by S. Turner, with authors Nasser, Raposo, Mills, Cocquyt, Atzema, Buskes, Andersson, Kwan, Winkler, Granato, Kremer, and Brenni.Subjects cover a wide range, dealing with both research and teaching using university historic scientific instrument collections. $60.

47. TESSERACT CATALOGUES, back issues still available: -,-,C,D,E,F,-,H,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,-,-,-,29,30,31,32,33,-,35,36,37,38,-,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99,100,101. $5.ea.

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eTesseract for on-line sales of other items...Our primary business continues to be carried out through our printed catalogues, mailed outseveral times per year. But our eTesseract web site offers us the opportunity to list additionalitems, including recent acquisitions, listings still available from back catalogues, lessexpensive items, reference books, etc. A number of items are presently on offer atwww.eTesseract.com, all fully illustrated, described, and priced.

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RITTENHOUSE, THE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTENTERPRISE, completed twenty-three years of print publication. This journal, which we co-published, is dedicated to articles about the history of instruments made, sold, and/or used inthe Americas. All 70 issues, featuring many dozens of articles on all types of scientificinstruments, are still available, either singly or by volume. Rittenhouse continues today as anonline publication, under the stewardship of Dr. Randall Brooks (seehttp://www.erittenhouse.org/)

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TESSERACT CATALOGUE SUBSCRIPTIONS -- $30 for the next four issues.

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We would be pleased to send complimentary copies of the current catalogue to yourinterested friends.

see item 12