Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Scrimshaw Sundial
(18th and 19th Centuries )
In 1702, Thomas Tuttell listed himself as a "mathematical instrument maker at Kings Arms, Charing Cross, London". This sundial is engraved with a black color added showing on the obverse a battle scene with the motto of the Order of the Garter: "Honi soit qui mal y pense." On the reverse there is a crest flanked by the rose of England and the thistle of Scotland and the engraved motto of the British Monarchy: "Dieu et mon Droit." Neither the ivory or brass elements show any sign of wear raising the possibility that this piece is a clever 19th-century conceit with royal pretensions.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
J. Herman Son Ltd. Galleries, New Orleans, Louisiana; Jean and Sidney Silber, Lutherville, Maryland, March 24, 1989, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 2008, by gift.
Geographies
United Kingdom, England, London (Place of Origin)
Measurements
5 1/2 x 3 1/8 in. (14 x 8 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Jean and Sidney Silber, 2008
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
2008.22