A rare Italian portable pillar sundial Initialled with maker's monogram I. A. G. A. F., dated 1778 The removable gilt ogee moulded cap with ball-shaped finial and internal plunger concealing two hinged brass gnomons over cylindrical shaft applied with printed paper scale annotated with calendar to upper edge with months annotated in Italian, over two opposing projected scales delineated with two sets of curved hour scales annotated with opposing Arabic and Roman numerals V-XII and 7-1 each scale with printed banner beneath, one annotated ESPOSTO IN FACCIA AL SOL, I. A. G. A. F. 1778 the other SEGNO LE ORE, elev. Pol. 45. the lower margins further inscribed in Italian to instruct which of the two gnomons should be used for each scale, on heavy crisply-turned cast gilt brass base, 16.5cm (6.5ins) high; with a brass cylindrical case applied with reinforcement strips to exterior. Provenance: The beneficiaries of the Estate of an Italian connoisseur collector of horological artefacts and works of art. Column or pillar sundials (sometimes termed shepherd's dials) are a type of altitude sundial probably developed during the early Renaissance. Indeed similar pillar sundials to the current lot were certainly in use well before the 1530's and feature in Hans Holbein's works 'The Ambassadors' and portrait of Nicholas Kratzer. The current lot is designed to operate at 45 degrees latitude and is used by first removing the cap and to fold-out the brass gnomons. The cap then needs to be re-inserted ensuring that the gnomons line up with the relevant date printed to the upper margin of the shaft. The instrument then needs to be placed in sunlight and aligned so that the shadow of the gnomon falls vertically down the column, the time will then be indicated at the point where the shadow terminates on the projected hour scale printed beneath. As the sundial relies on the altitude of the sun to provide a reading the hour scales are annotated with two opposing sets of numbers (one in Arabic numerals the other Roman) these allow the time to be ascertained both in the morning or afternoon and converge at six o'clock.