Cylinder dial for latitudes 37° 30' North (also known as a pillar dial or shepherd dial). This dial comprises a turned wooden cylinder with a carrying loop. The top of the cylinder lifts out to reveal two folding brass gnomons housed in the central slot at the top. There are four separate projections, two for each of summer and winter (one gives evening hours and one morning hours). The declination lines in each mark the beginning of the month, apparently, and curved hour-lines cross each set of declination lines. Morning hours in summer are labelled, 'Pars Æstiua' [summer portion]; morning hours in winter are labelled, 'Hiemalis' [winter]. Afternoon hours in summer are labelled, 'Æstiua' [summer]; afternoon hours in winter are labelled, 'Pars Hiemalis' [winter portion].

This is a good example of the sort of inexpensive cylinder dial that would have been made in large numbers. The dial has two gnomons, the short one to be used with the summer hour-lines and the long one with the winter hour-lines. These hour-lines are numbered with Italian hours. The latitude inscribed on the dial corresponds with that of Catania in Sicily. The dial is signed 'P.[adre] Gaetano di Siva p.[adre] Capuccino'.

For more information regarding this dial please refer to the OUP & NMM catalogue, 'Sundials at Greenwich'.