Existing comment:
Mining Compass
dated 1561
German
Tools like this one were designed to measure the tunnels and shafts of silver mines, a major source of wealth for the Saxon electors. Like the adjacent gunner's level, this ornate version of the instrument was intended not for everyday use but for display in the Kunstkammer. It bears representations of the Renaissance planetary gods with their corresponding metals and astrological signs, including sun/gold/Leo; Venus/copper/Taurus; Mercury/mercury/Gemini; moon/silver/Cancer; Saturn/lead/Aquarius; and Jupiter/tin/Sagittarius. |