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I.92 Proportional compasses
Maker: unknown
Date:17th cent.
Materials:gilt brass
Dimensions:length 220 mm
Current inventory:672, 3685
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Proportional compasses consisting of flat legs folding over each other like scissors. The legs are inscribed with two scales to divide a line into equal parts from 2 to 10 and to draw regular polygons from an equilateral triangle to a 17-side figure. The curved steel tips serve to measure the diameters of columns or artillery shot. The hinge, graduated from 10° to 120° with a moving steel index, was used to measure angular apertures. Provenance: Medici collections.

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