Seasonal inclining dial. This is a rectangular lacquered boxwood dial with a hinged hour-plate. On the obverse side the compass is set into the dial-plate. This is a feng-shui (geomantic) compass with direction names given by 12 animals and 12 elements. The cardinal points are named as water (North), wood, fire and metal/gold. The needle is steel and is reddened at its South end. The covering glass plate is held in place by orange ring.

Beneath the hour-plate is a toothed ratchet scale with 13 divisions. Four red characters appear at the edges of the scale: 'The order of the four seasons harmonises the original principle'. A brass strut attached to the back of the hour-plate is set in this scale to position the hour-plate. The front has an hour scale with one character in red (these are the Chinese hours). Two red characters within this scale indicate that the compass should be turned to the North. The brass rod gnomon, which folds flat when not in use, is set perpendicular to the hour-plate. On the reverse side of the dial are eight Chinese characters (one in red) giving the name of the maker and the area from which he came: 'Xin-An, Xiu-Li, Fang Xiu-Shui'. This 'pseudo-equinoctial' dial demonstrates a standard type of Chinese dial with the dial set according to the season, as marked by the 'qi' (characters) and the compass carrying the feng-shui (geomantic) divisions into 24 parts.

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