Hand Carved Barometer

The barometer in the two photographs below is one that I constructed from scratch; it's hand-carved from lime wood, faithfully reproducing flowers, berries, twisting foliage, architectural columns and scrolls.  It consists of a portable mercury cistern tube calibrated from 28 inches to 31 inches with hand-engraved silvered-brass register plates signed “M. Jones, Birmingham”.  These have a cog-driven adjustable vernier that moves throughout the range.  The thermometer is calibrated in Fahrenheit and is encased in glass with the barometer register plates.  The carving is backed by a mirror to elaborate its depth. In the black-and-white photograph, the mirror has been removed for photographic purposes and was replaced with white paper.  The main carcase is pine and mahogany, veneered in burr-walnut, and is edge-lined in ebony; the carving has been colour-matched to the walnut.  The overall length is 41 inches.  It is finished in shellac French-polish and has an antique appearance.