Description

A French Perpetual calendar from circa 1877 with five static circles and four moving circles. At the back of the perpetual calendar a handwritten explanation is attached with a step-by-step guide, it moves the reader through seasonal and lunar phases such as easter, the phases of the moon and the lunar phases. It is carefully made of a decorated brass plate with four rotatable circles an in a wooden frame.

At the center of the brass plate a rotatable globe is located. On top, the globe has a brass handle with a pin pointing to the outer circles. Around the globe decorative  putti’s and flowers are carved. The four putti’s are spreading banners with zodiac signs above their heads.

Five static circles and four moving circles. The first static circle contains respectively the zodiac signs spreaded over the circle and on the downside the years. On the second static circle the months are inscribed. Next comes the first rotatable circle which depicts the days of the week. Thursday (Jeudi) and Sunday (Dimanche) are repeatedly displayed. The third static circle displays the dates of the months ascending and repeating from zero to thirty. The second moving circle depicts the annual lunar phase with new moon and full moon and numbers 0,5,10,20,25 in which this cycle is performed. The fourth static circle has a description for previous circle recorded: ‘Cycle Lunaire’ and ‘Nombre d’or’. As well as the numbers 1 to 19. The third rotable circle counts the days of the phases of the moon in 29 days. On day 8 the first quarter is depicted, on day 15 full moon and on day 23 the third quarter . The fifth static circle is empty. The fourth movable circle contains 2 times the increasing numbers 1 to 12. In the centre a rotatable globe, with the meridian through Greenwich. The globe is surrounded by flower motifs and four putti’s with banners with zodiac signs.

At the back of the plate a detailed handwritten manual of two pages clipped in. It contains descriptions in French on how to use the different circles, which is transcriped as good as possible down below.

Look for shop information on www.vanleestantiques.com