New horizon sundial

[New Fardipine sundial]

The New Fardipine sundial is a sundial with a length of 23.1 cm, a width of 14.7 cm and a height of 17 cm. The old collection of the Qing Palace
The dial surface is a silver-plated square plate with a time line and a solar term line carved on it. The center is equipped with a triangular up-and-down dial needle. The side next to the dial needle is equipped with a compass, and the other side is horizontally engraved with the inscription “New Horizon Sundial”. The bottom of the plate is carved with a Yunlong flower pattern, and the vertical inscription “Tang Ruowang, the minister of the Yuan Dynasty, was respectfully revised on the auspicious day of July in the first year of Shunzhi” is carved in the center. The sundial plate is embedded in the rosewood frame of the small square table type, and the overall structure is rigorous and the shape is beautiful
Use this sundial, use the compass to determine the north and south, erect the dial needle, and use the sundial needle to cast the shadow position on the dial surface to get the time and the solar term of the day
The “new method” of the “new method of the horizon sundial” engraved on the dial surface means that this sundial is not a traditional equatorial device in China, but adopts the principle of the horizon device still prevailing in Europe in the 17th century, and changes the Chinese traditional hundredth of a day and equal division method to 96 divisions of a day on the scale, and marks the time line in the form of unequal division
This is a tribute presented by Johann Adam Schall Von Bell on July 9, the first year of Shunzhi (1644), to the Regent King Dourgen and Emperor Shunzhi. After the instrument entered the court, it promoted the Chinese people in the Qing Dynasty to master the principle of the horizontal sundial and the technology of making it.

汤若望制新法地平日晷汤若望制新法地平日晷款识