231 - Charles Bloud of Dieppe - Sundial

Charles Bloud of Dieppe - Sundial A rare and luxurious, folding Norman tortoiseshell universal traveling sundial, finely engraved, with a compass, calendar, and moon phase Dimensions 68 x 80 x 16 mm, circa 1670, Weight 135 g, Origin: France Case: Tortoiseshell, silver. The top is engraved at the corners with sunflower motifs. The center features a circular equinoctial dial labeled 1–12 twice, and a central polar dial labeled 8–12–4; with a central metal rivet. The inside of the lid features a poppy-flower border along the edges and an engraved latitude scale on the right-hand side labeled 0° to 80°. A silver volvelle in the center depicts a calendar and the phases of the moon. The base plate, engraved with poppies, features an inlaid compass with printed paper listing countries and their latitudes; a silver elliptical scale engraved with VII–XII–V. Like the top, the bottom is engraved with sunflower motifs at the corners and features a silver disc in the center displaying a perpetual calendar. The Frenchman Charles Bloud was active as a sundial maker in Dieppe around 1660. At the time, Dieppe was renowned for objects made of ivory and for the production of sundials. Charles Bloud was born in Dieppe around 1640; he had three children—Marie Bloud, Charles (le Jeune) Bloud, and another Charles Bloud, who was born in Rotterdam. The Bloud family fled from France to Rotterdam after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. In Rotterdam, Charles Bloud came into contact with the ivory carver Jean Le Grand. Bloud died in 1719 in Dieppe (Seine-Maritime). More attractive folding sundials by Charles Bloud are part of the collection of the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon in Dresden and the German Horological Museum in Furtwangen. Case: very good, slightly rubbed, slightly chipped. Please note that some countries prohibit the import of objects made of, or containing, materials from endangered species—such as (but not limited to) coral, ivory, tortoiseshell, or rare tropical woods. For customs-related reasons, these objects cannot be shipped outside the EU. We therefore strongly advise you to thoroughly research your country’s current customs regulations before placing a bid.