Objekt 6
Lunch cannon
Description
The round base plate with horizontal sundial has hour and half hour markings and a permanently mounted gnomon, the spandrel has the pole elevation of Berlin: 52° 31' 17". A magnifying glass is mounted on two legs. Its angle is adjusted according to the respective month in order to direct the sunlight onto the firing hole of the small cannon. Through the burning glass effect, a specially attached fuse (shooting cotton) is ignited each time the sun is at its highest point.
Object description
Manufacturer: E. Petitpierre
Berlin, around 1820
White marble, engraved, brass (gnomon), bronze (cannon), magnifying glass
Bequest Carl and Lini Nathan-Rupp, Binningen
Inv. 1982.1229.