Seasonal inclining dial. This is a rectangular boxwood dial with a hinged hour-plate. On the obverse side, a compass is set into the dial-plate. Marked around the compass is a scale divided into eight with the compass points marked in black and red (trigrams and Chinese characters); each of these divisions is subdivided into marked divisions which correspond to the 12 provinces of China; each geographical area being thought to correspond to an area of the heavens.

The compass has a grey metal base on which the meridian line is marked. It has a steel needle, reddened at its South end, and is covered by a glass plate, held in place by a black ring. Beneath the hour-plate is a toothed ratchet scale with 13 divisions, marked in black. A brass strut attached to the back of the hour-plate is set in this scale to position the hour-plate. The front has an hour scale for Chinese hours. Two red characters within this scale indicate that the compass should be turned to the North. There is a brass rod gnomon that folds flat when not in use, to be set perpendicular to the hour-plate. On the reverse side of the dial are eight Chinese characters (one in red) giving the name of the maker and the area from which he came: 'Xin-An, Xiu-Li, Fang Xiu-Shui'. This dial is similar in style to AST0378, but somewhat larger.

For more information regarding this dial please refer to the OUP & NMM catalogue, 'Sundials at Greenwich'.