Signed: Fecit Erasmus habermel
Late 16th century
Fig. 72
Erasmus Habermel, like Joost Bürgi, enjoyed the patronage of Rudolf II at the imperial court in Prague, and it may well have been through contact with Bürgi (see catalogue nos 51 and 52) that he came to make an instrument of this type. Habermel's version, in gilt brass, is more substantial and elaborate, but fundamentally similar. He too includes scales for shot, but here marked in Latin: 'PLVMBVM', 'FERRVM' and 'LAPIS'. The instrument has a shaped and tooled leather case.
Length (baseline arm): 470 mm
Billmeir Collection
Inventory no. 47,741