The barrel of this telescope is lacquered and decorated with red and gold flowers. The three draw tubes are brass, as are the other fittings, including a sliding eyepiece cover.

Achromatic telescopes like this example were used on board ship for making general observations, although this one is unusually decorative. As an inscription on one of the draw tubes indicates, it is a day or night telescope, meaning that it can be used at any time. It has a relatively large objective lens, therefore, to collect as much light as possible when the light is poor.

The maker's name is inscribed on one of the draw tubes as 'Jones London', while another inscription on the objective lens tube indicates that it was once owned by Henry Huish RN.