Verbiest's Prints

In the exhibition we were able to present only a selection from Ferdinand Verbiest’s Xinzhi Yixiangtu. All 105 of the prints are available here. Click on a thumbnail for larger versions, or choose a group from the list of themes such as astronomy and mechanics.

Theme: Precision [4]

Areas and volumes, and the rationale for placing sights at the circumference of an instrument Diagonal scales with transversal divisions, with an illustration of a dividers in use to take off or measure precise dimensions Transversal scales on the limbs of an armillary sphere and the sextant Geometric diagrams, spirals and the method of dividing lines into equal parts