CIRCINVS Proportional Compasses from the 15th to the 18th Century

A JOURNEY TO THE FASCINATING WORLD OF PROPORTIONAL COMPASSES 

Before the advent of technology, there was a need for an accurate and easy-to-use instrument for measurements in various fields such as architecture and military engineering, but also for artists. It was for this reason that the proportional compass was developed. Perfected by illustrious mathematicians in the following decades, the proportional compasses imposed itself as the analogue calculating instrument par excellence until the spread of the slide rule.

The exhibition curated by Filippo Camerota, Ina Prinz and Patrick Rocca aims to promote knowledge of this mysterious and fascinating object through a unique selection of cases and boxes of drawing instruments and accessories for architects and engineers, chosen from among the most beautiful and rare ones from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Among the most significant are the 18th century box by the artist Jacques Canivet with no less than 170 pieces considered to be the largest set of mathematical instruments known to date. Then also an Italian red and gold morocco case with small decorative iron studs from the Medici collection and an extremely rare architect's box made by Nicolas Jacques Baradelle for the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel containing a Kassel foot as a unit of measurement.

Books include the extremely rare edition of Euclid's Elements edited by Luca Pacioli in 1509.