An Astronomical Compendium by Christoph Schissler (c. 1531-1608)

Augsburg 1561, signed and dated
“CHRISTOPHORVS SCHISSLER FACIEBAT AVGVSTAE VINDELICORVM ANNO 1561”
Gilt brass, silver, punched, engraved, partly enamelled.
Diameter 73 mm
Height 14 mm
• Leaf Ia
Astrolabe quadrant, inscribed “DVRCH DISES INSTRVME: W. FVNDEN .D. POLVS HÖCH” and “LINE DES EBNEN ERTRICHS”, foliate engravings.
• Leaf Ib
A map of central Europe from Lübeck to Brixen (Bressanone) and Bruges to Krakow showing towns, hills and rivers, double pointer, and weather vane.
• Leaf IIa
Horizontal sundial for latitudes of 42, 45, 48, 51, and 54 degrees, silver compass giving the compass directions “ME / OCC / SE / ORT.” [glass, needle missing], concentric hour scales, folding gnomon (“POLVS HECHE.”)
• Leaf IIb
Table of latitudes for 47 European places.
- Leaf IIc (frieze)
Signature
“CHRISTOPHORVS SCHISSLER FACIEBAT AVGVSTAE VINDELICORVM ANNO DOMINI 1561”, two curved brass hooks.
• Leaf IIIa
Planispheric astrolabe plate with revolving ecliptic ring showing the 12 zodiacs (“XII HEÜSSER DES HIMELS”), a rule for the position of the sun and moon (“SONEN ZAIGER / MON ZAIGER”).
• Leaf IIIb
Lunar volvelle, aspectarium and almanac (length of day and night, dusk and dawn). “ES WIRT IN DEN ZWAYEN ZIRCKELN GEFVNDEN DVRCH DIE STVND VND ZEIT DES AVF VND NIDER GANGS DIE TAG VND NACHT LENGE / DES TAGS LENGE / DER NACHT LENGE / GANG D. SONEN AVF / GANG D: SONEN NIDER / IN DEN DREIEN ZIRCKELN WIRT GEFVNDEN WIE ALT DER MON AVCH UM WÖLCHE ZEIT VND WIE VIL ER SCHEINT.”
Provenance:
Gustav V., King of Sweden (1858-1950), listed in 1910 as “Astrolabium” in the 1910 court inventory list.
Prinz Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland (1885-1965)
Lennart Count Bernadotte (1909-2004)
Thence by descent

Compare:
• MAK Vienna, inventory no. GO 229-1: a similar compendium by Christoph Schissler from 1559 (diameter 72 mm).
• Royal Observatory Greenwich, inventory no. AST0410: a very similar compendium by Christoph Schissler, 1560 (diameter 73 mm)
• V&A London, inv. no. M.165 to E-1938: a very similar compendium by Christoph Schissler, 1561 (diameter 82 mm)
• The Kern Collection, inv. no. 1/24: a similar compendium by Christoph Schissler, 1565 (diameter 88 mm)
• Museum of the History of Science Oxford, inv. no. 49036: a similar compendium by Christoph Schissler, 1588 (diameter 78 mm)

Literature:
Bobinger, Maximilian: Christoph Schissler der Ältere und der Jüngere, Verlag die Brigg, Augsburg 1954.
Bobinger, Maximilian: Alt-Augsburger Kompassmacher, Hans Rösler, Augsburg 1966.
Zinner, Ernst: Astronomische Instrumente, C. H. Beck, Munich 1979.
Kern, Ralf: Wissenschaftliche Instrumente in ihrer Zeit, vol. 1, Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, Cologne 2010.

Christoph Schissler (c. 1531-1608) in Augsburg is considered one of the most important makers of scientific instruments. His creations are among the most outstanding instruments of their time, both in terms of craftsmanship and technology. He manufactured armillary spheres, globes, astrolabes, sundials and other mathematical and astronomical instruments.
His customers included Elector Augustus of Saxony and Emperor Rudolf II, to whom he delivered his "Quadratum geometricum" in 1579.