AN IVORY SUNDIAL, TUGUI, QING DYNASTY China, 1644-1912. Of rectangular form, incised with characters to one side indicating time periods and to the other indicating the celestial poles, seasons, and 24 solar terms, along with how long the shadow should be for specific time periods. The top of the sundial is pierced with two small holes to insert the gnomon, which is stored in a small recess at the lower end covered by a small rectangular ivory fitting.

Provenance: From a French private collection.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, natural age cracks, few minuscule nicks and light scratches. With a naturally grown, honey-golden patina overall.

Weight: 118.7 g
Dimensions: Length 15.8 cm

Trade Certificate: The trade certificate for the sale of this lot within the EU has been granted (permit number AT 22-B-0074).

Some types of sundials have existed in China since around 800 BC, and these eventually evolved into sophisticated water clocks by circa 1000 AD. Sometime during the Song dynasty, a compass would also be added to the sundial. There is an early reference to sundials from 104 BC, found in an assembly of calendar experts. However, equatorial and polar sundials, as commonly found in Europe and Arabia, did not exist in China until the late Ming dynasty, when Catholic missionaries introduced them to Chinese astronomers.

Literature comparison: Compare a wood sundial compass, dated possibly 18^th century, in the collection of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, accession number 1957-165-12, and another dated 1850-1900 in the Horniman Museum & Gardens, London, museum number 6.12.65/265, and an ivory compass and sundial, dated to the 19^th century, at Christie's New York, 17 October 2000, lot 41.

This item contains ivory, rhinoceros horn, tortoise shell, and/or some types of tropical wood and is subject to CITES when exporting outside the EU. It is typically not possible to export such items outside of the EU, including to the UK. Therefore, after this item has the necessary trade certificate, it can only be shipped within the EU or picked up in our gallery in person.

清代象牙日晷
中國， 1644-1912年。 象牙長方形日晷，一面有南北兩極的使用指示和二十四節氣，另一面的移動式陀羅尼上有一個小格子開口，表面刻著交錯時間。 可根據緯度的不同，調節好晷版的坡度仰角，在晷版立一籤板，在晷版投影上，就可以讀出時間，在景版上，就可以讀出節氣來。

來源：法國私人收藏。
品相：品相極好，輕微磨損， 年代裂紋， 一些微小的刻痕和輕微的劃痕。 整體帶有自然生長的蜜色包漿。

重量：118.7 克
尺寸：長 15.8 厘米

象牙交易證書：附有此拍品在歐盟範圍內的交易證書複本(證書編號 AT 22-B-0074)。

西元前 800 年左右，中國有了日晷，最終在西元 1000 年左右演變成複雜的水鐘。 在宋朝時，日晷上也會增加一個指南針。 曾有記錄發現了西元前 104 年的日晷。然而，在歐洲和阿拉伯常見的赤道日晷和極地日晷，直到明朝末年才出現在中國，是當時的天主教傳教士將它們介紹給中國天文學家。
文獻比較：比較一件可能約為十八世紀的木雕日晷，見庫柏休伊特設計博物館，編號1957-165-12。另一件1850-1900年的木雕日晷在倫敦Horniman Museum & Gardensmuseum，編號6.12.65/265。一件十九世紀象牙日晷，見紐約佳士得，2000年10月17日，lot 41。