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 SMP Silver Salon Forums
 Continental / International Silver
 perpetual calendar -- German?
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| Author | Topic: perpetual calendar -- German? |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 08-17-2007 03:50 PM
  
Can anyone hazard a translation? The piece is 1 11/16" dia and made of three silver disks; the outer pair have remains of gilding. What sort of era? IP: Logged |
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vathek Posts: 966 |
posted 08-17-2007 04:22 PM
lanquage is German, could be late 18th to mid 19c? IP: Logged |
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tmockait Posts: 963 |
posted 08-17-2007 04:56 PM
Ok, here it is. Top window: Monat Mai 31 das Jahr Sonnen II lauf Tag 16 lang Symbol for sun 4 aufgang Bottom window: reading left to right with the calendar reversed (window at top) Nacht 8 lang untergang 8 sun symbol I cannot make out the words around the outside of the calendar. They are in the classical German script known as Schrift used until the middle of the 19th century and revived briefly by the Nazis as a symbol of cultural imperialism. Can you copy them out and post? Here is a link to the Schrift alphabet. donicht.de/sutterlin.htm [link gone from the Internet] By the way, the length of day suggests a southerly location - Bavaria or Austria. Please tell us more about this piece. Tom PS I had fun with this! IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 08-17-2007 05:06 PM
I actually puzzled out the large stuff -- Immovable Feasts -- which makes the top bit on the inner disk the Saint or whatever for that date. Cool and thanks I will get a snap of the flip side (battery charging) in a bit. IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 08-17-2007 05:18 PM
Here's the other side IP: Logged |
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tmockait Posts: 963 |
posted 08-17-2007 05:28 PM
May 31 is the immovable feast of the visitation of Mary, Mother of Jesus, so that would make sense. I can make out only the word "erfind" to learn or find out. The holyday commemorates Mary's visit to her cousing Elizabeth who is pregnant with John the Baptist. Elizabeth realizes or discovers that Mary is carrying the savior. This seems to be a Catholic Calendar which again suggest Bavaria or Austria. Can you say more about where you got this and whether it has marks, etc. IP: Logged |
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tmockait Posts: 963 |
posted 08-17-2007 05:40 PM
Scratch the Southern Germany conclusion. The area of Europe that has 16 hours of daylight on May 31 is about 52-53% north latitude, roughly that of Berlin. Was it made there? Lutherans also had a feast calendar that included May 31. The words listed to the right on the obverse are the days of the week in German. [This message has been edited by tmockait (edited 08-17-2007).] IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 08-17-2007 06:07 PM
There is not much to tell, I'm afraid. The piece belongs to a friend of mine who collects miniature books (he's quite looney about them, unlike us dignified silverphiles. . . ). He found it in London years ago and was told it was probably German and possibly mid 18th century. I have found nothing resembling a mark or engraved name. It appears a better quality item, given the gilding and spritely engraving. IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 08-17-2007 06:13 PM
In the mysterious line Sonnen II lauf the middle bit are astrological symbols, so it may mean the sign the sun rises in? IP: Logged |
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tmockait Posts: 963 |
posted 08-17-2007 06:30 PM
Yes! II is the symbol for Gemini in which the sun is located from May 22 to June 21. So "Sonnen II lauf" = "the sun is in the constellation Gemini," which corresponds to the May 31 date on the calendar. The 18th century makes sense as does a Prussian origin for the piece (Potsdam Berlin), at least in terms of historical context. The enlightenment was in full swing and its thinkers were enthralled with clocks and instruments. Dieism (a kind of philosphical religion) held that God was the clockmaker to set the marvelous machine of the universe in motion. Frederick the Great of Prussia considered himself an enlgihtened despot steeped in the learning of the day. Hopefully, Blackstone will be able to add something about style, etc. to narrow down date and provinence. Thanks for an enjoyable hour or so of detective work and a break writing the book I have to finish by fall. Tom IP: Logged |
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blakstone Posts: 493 |
posted 08-17-2007 10:59 PM
Well, I believe the generic term for this type of device is a volvelle (which includes any calculating device made of layered rotating wheels), and stylistically I'd say third quarter 18th century; compare with this circa 1765 paper version. As for where, barring any marks, Berlin is as good a guess as any, but I wouldn't rule out former Prussian territories that are now part of Poland: Posen, for instance. IP: Logged |
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tmockait Posts: 963 |
posted 08-19-2007 04:05 PM
Devices such as this seem to be an exercise to demonstrate technical virtuosity and love of mechanical things. It is hard to see a practical use for such a calendar except sheer enjoyment of its workings. Tom IP: Logged |
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