Royal silver-plated, flat and flat combination instrument

[Imperial silver-plated flat flat flat flat combination instrument]

The imperial silver-plated flat flat flat flat flat combination instrument was made in the 32nd year of the reign of the Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1693) at the Palace of the Qing Dynasty, with a height of 5cm, a side length of 25cm and a thickness of 7cm. The old collection of the Qing Palace
The combination instrument is composed of six different instruments, which are respectively embedded in the silver-plated square plate, and then connected by the hinge to form a square box. The top one is the “three-star sundial”. After opening it, the elevation is “time division dial” and the plane is “compass”; Lift up the “compass” and see two more instruments. The elevation is “horizon” and the plane is “star disk”; Below the “star disk” is the “quadrant”. The above six instruments with different functions are ingeniously designed and integrated
The “three-star sundial” is an instrument for finding the time by measuring the sun, moon and stars. The instrument is divided into two plates: the bottom plate is a fixed silver plate, which is engraved with twelve hours on the top, and divided into the first and the first. The upper heavy plate is silver-plated and can be rotated. Twenty-four solar terms are engraved along the outermost circumference of the disc. The inner circle is carved with twelve hours, including the beginning and the right. The second inner circle is engraved with 30 days. The secondary inner circle is vertically engraved with the names of stars, such as the number one and the number seven. Once again, carve the star symbol on the inner disc. A cursor is set in the center of the disk
“Time-degree dial” refers to the converted time-degree table. The disk is divided into two plates: the lower plate is a fixed silver plate, engraved with the time and degree. The upper heavy plate can be rotated, and the words “day in and out of the horizon”, “shadow in the sky”, “twilight moment”, “daily palace reading”, “distance between the days” and other words are engraved on the position of the time and degree, and the silver plated plate is carved with a hollow rectangle next to the words to see the various figures of the chassis
“Compass” is an instrument for determining direction. The outer circle of the instrument disk is carved with four quadrants, the inner circle is carved with the name of orientation, the center glass disk is a compass, and the glass frame edge is attached with a rotatable pointer
The “horizon” is used to measure azimuth. Four quadrants are carved on the round instrument surface, and the straight edges on the square instrument surface are carved with “ten”, “twenty” and “thirty” degrees from the center of 0 °. A speculum is set in the center of the instrument surface, and numbers such as “ten”, “twenty” and “thirty” are engraved along both sides of the speculum
The “star chart” is used to find the time, the mid-sky on a certain star at a certain time, the time of sunrise and sunset, etc. The lower heavy disk is a fixed silver disk, namely the North Hengxing disk. It is engraved with longitude and latitude on the top, and the center is the North Pole. It is engraved with 12 hours along the circumference of the disk. The upper heavy plate is a rotatable silver-plated hollowed-out plate, and the small circle is the zodiac, on which the twelve palaces are carved. The name of the zodiac in this chart is engraved with the name of the Chinese zodiac corresponding to the western zodiac. The name of stars and degrees are engraved on the hollowed-out plate, and the center is installed with a travel mark
“Quadrant” carves four quadrants along the square plate surface, of which two straight diagonal lines are used to carve degrees. The quadrant is 90 ° on the curved surface and 90 ° on the cursor
The blank parts of various instruments are decorated with vine patterns. “The instrument should be 40 degrees higher from the North Pole” is engraved in the vine pattern box on the dial at all times, and “the instrument should be 40 degrees higher from the North Pole” is engraved on the chassis of the leveling instrument. The combination instrument is attached with calculations, measuring lines, pencils, blackboards, ivory paper, astrology instruction books, etc
The inscription “Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty and Emperor Yue of the Qing Dynasty” is engraved on the time division board
This simple and flat combination instrument was not made by accident. Since the eighth year of Kangxi’s reign (1669), the Emperor Kangxi decided to learn Western arithmetic after the calendar dispute that shocked the government and the public. First, the Belgian missionary Nan Huairen was hired to teach the “Principles of Geometry” written by the French mathematician Pardi, and then the French missionaries Bai Jin and Zhang Cheng were hired to teach the “Practical and Theoretical Geometry” written by the French mathematician Barti, in which some measurement knowledge was interspersed with astronomical instruments. Emperor Kangxi learned the theory of Western mathematics while operating the instruments in the field. For this reason, Bai Jin commented in the book “Biography of Emperor Kangxi”: “He applied the most interesting things learned in geometry to practice, and used some astronomical instruments as a pleasure.” Based on this historical background and the time of instrument production, the volume of instruments and the configuration of small objects, This set of instruments was used by Kangxi himself to study western astronomy, mathematics, surveying and other knowledge in the capital (Beijing area) for short distance measurement.

三辰公晷仪时刻度分盘和罗盘仪地平仪和星盘象限仪