Ω Equatorial SOLAR CADRAN ON COLUMNin white marble infused with grey, mounted on a curved base, with a monolithic cylindrical shaft, curved spine and abacus hosting the inclined table engraved on both sides with time lines and characters, the base and shaft with decoration sculpted in slight relief or engraved with clouds topped with leiwens (Missing the metallic style, old restorations, eroded surfaces and the whole joined). China, 17th century. A GREY MARBLE SUNDIAL, RIGUI, CHINA, 17TH CENTURY. HIGH. 115.5 CM (45 1/2 IN.) DIM. (BASE) 38 X 38 CM (14 15/16 X 14 15/16 IN.)PROVENANCECollection of a French diplomat stationed in China from 1902 to 1904. By descent to the current owner. WORK IN REPORTOur dial is similar to a marble dial kept at the Seiko Museum, Tokyo. NOTE An equatorial dial, sometimes called an "equinoxial dial", is a time sundial whose table is located in a plane parallel to that of the Earth's equator, hence its name. Its style, perpendicular to the dial table and placed in the plane of the local meridian, is parallel to the axis of the Earth (North-South Pole) and is therefore inclined with respect to the horizontal plane by an angle equal to the latitude of the place. In China, the calendar has always had an important symbolic function. Through him, the emperor, guarantor of harmony between Heaven and Earth, brought human activities into harmony with celestial activities. Emperor Kangxi's interest in science was well known in Europe at the time through the many Jesuit publications on China. By the end of the 16th century, Jesuits had since used science (including mathematics, astronomy and cartography) to attract the attention of Chinese literate elites and, with the reform of the calendar (1629-1635), to approach imperial power. The calendar promulgated in 1644 by Shunzhi (r. 1644-1661), the first emperor of the Qing dynasty and father of Kangxi, was the result of this reform.