Antique Treatise on the Construction of Sundials. France, 1701

Original Title: Traité d'Horlogiographie, contenant plusieurs manieres de construire sur toutes surfaces, toutes sortes de lignes horaires, & autres cercles de la Sphere. Avec quelques instrumens pour la même pratique, & pour connoître les heures durant la nuit; l'heure du flux & reflux de la Mer. Plus la methode de couper en pierre ou en bois, les Corps Reguliers, & autres Polyedres, par le Cube & par le Cylindre. Author: Pierre Sainte Marie De Madeleine Publicatión Date: 1701 This book is a real jewel printed in France in the early 18th century (1701), in good condition and highly interesting for every collector and lover of antique books. It is a fascinating treaty that teaches how to manufacture solar clocks, complete and profusely illustrated. The book has 294 pages with seventy two engravings, all of them original and well preserved. The dark leather cover is also the original one, and so is the fine artisanal marbled paper that reinforces and decorates the inside of the covers. At the first written page, just by a fine engraving that depicts a landscape with a castel we can see the French title: TRAITE DHORLOGIOGRAPHIE (Treaty on Clock Making). In the same paragraph we can read that this treaty teaches the reader how to build solar clocks on every surface. Another paragraph at the foot of the page shows the Parisian editors name, Chez Antoine Dezallier, and just over it appears the writers name, Dom Pierre de Sainte Marie Mas Delaine. Then there is the following inscription: AVEC PRIVILEGE DU ROY (with the Privilege of the King). The Privilege was an exclusive authorization of the King to print something. It protected the printer against counterfeit. The rest of the pages are also very well preserved, with no torn or missing parts and clearly legible texts. The explanations and instructions are detailed and talk about tools, techniques and methods, accompanied by diagrams and schemes that exude an undeniable charm. Among the engravings we find clock designs, technical indications and even a great image depicting the Signs of the Zodiac. The artisanal blue, red, white and yellow marbled paper that protects the inside of the covers preserves its liveliness and strength in spite of the trace of the centuries. So antique and complete, this exclusive treaty deserves an honor place in a library with rare antique books. Measurements: Width: 4.3 in / 11 cm. Height: 6.69 in / 17 cm.