Description

PERPETUAL CALENDAR / LUNAR CALENDAR, English, 19th century, made of brass 1-1/2″ (3.7 cm) in diameter. One side has a rotating disk marked “Day of the Month For Ever,” with a smiling sunface and a ring of month dates. This reads against a fixed ring of weekdays. The other side has a volvelle marked “Moon’s Age, Phases, and Southings,” with circular scales of twice-12 hours, date of the lunar month, and weekdays. An eccentric circle indicates fullness of the moon. In fine condition, this is an uncommon form of lunar / solar calendar. We note a variant version, undoubtedly by the same maker, marked as a tidal calendar “High Water and Moon¹s Age” (Tesseract Catalogue 38, item 58). (Featured in “Wondrous Devices” exhibition, Hudson River Museum, 2018).