Museo Galileo
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Virtual Museum
Proportional compasses
    • Setting:
      Room VI
    • Maker:
      unknown
    • Date:
      17th cent.
    • Materials:
      brass
    • Dimensions:
      length 170 mm
    • Inventory:
      650
    • Proportional compasses (Inv. 650)

Proportional compasses consisting of flat legs folding over each other like scissors and fitted with steel tips. The legs are inscribed with decreasing graduations (from 2 to 12) to divide a line down to the twelfth part. The hinge has an index and graduated semi-circle (divided into 180°) to measure angular apertures. Provenance: Medici collections.