Description

18th Century Italian Venetian Telescope

Signed

“LEONARDO SEMITECOLO”

This classic Venetian telescope is made in cardboard, vellum, brass and horn.

Made by  the famous Venetian maker

“Leonardo Semitecolo”

Several telescopes survived by this optician who worked in Venice in the 18th century

Other 18th century venetian makers were:

Burlini; Selva; Olivo; Deregni; Martinelli.

Dimension:65cm length (open), 30cm (closed), diam. 3,7cm

In good and working optical and structural condition.

The orange main tube with signature and floral patterns is in good original conditions,   traces of gilding are preserved on the punched decorations.

Interesting and unusual if compared with the other Semitecolo telescopes, is that the two inner tubes are covered with paper with colored pattern designs, instead of a plain colored  paper.

The tube’s ring, eyepiece and objective holder are made in horn, the eyepiece kept his original cap , which is missing on  the objective.

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Leonardo Semitecolo 18th century

Although he built a substantial number of telescopes, many of them extant, we have no precise information about this Venetian optician. His instruments have similar characteristics: in particular, the main section, bearing the maker’s signature, is covered in orange paper with punched decoration.

( from Museo Galileo Biography index)

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