Miniature Quintant by Adie of Liverpool

Signed "Adie Liverpool" this miniature "sextant" may be mounted on the adjustable, articulated pillar screwed into the lid of the case. It also has a "tee" shaped ebony handle for hand use. Miniature design of 4” radius with beveled edge silver scale. It comes in a shaped case with its accessories. The sides of the mahogany case are cut from solid wood. With three tubes, stand, sunshade and ebony “Tee” handle.

Quintants on stands are a rarity, miniature ones more so.

A quintant is a sextant with an extended scale. Sextants have a scale that is useable over 120 degrees while the quintant covers 144 degrees. This instrument has a scale running from 3 to 0 to 175 degrees, while its useable range is 3 to 0 to 142 degrees a range of 145 degrees. Quintants are especially useful in celestial navigation or measuring the angle between widely separated objects.

Richard Adie was working in Liverpool between 1835 and 1875, the son of Alexander Adie of Edinburgh. The style of the sextant and the case put its manufacture at the beginning of this period.

Case overall 14.5 x 20 x 8cm Radius of quintant 10cm

Late Georgian.