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Object Overview
The barometer crafted by Thomas Mason around 1810 seems to encapsulate the spirit of an era when science and art intertwined like inseparable companions. Its majestic oak case, with round top, powerful and steadfast, rises to a height of 91 centimeters, resembling the trunk of an ancient tree that has grown into a world of precision and refined measurement. This case is not merely a shell but a core of strength and earthy tranquility, where every centimeter of oak grain holds the vibrant echo of centuries past. The entire construction pays homage to the power of nature, dressed in a refined simplicity of form that defies the passage of time.
At the base of this oak structure lies a hemispherical cover, shielding the barometer’s reservoir like a guard, securely sheltering its internal mechanism from the forces of the external world. Here, function merges with aesthetic intent, as if the master, pouring his soul into this protective element, intended to underscore not just practicality but a ritualized reverence for a scientific instrument as a piece of art deserving of careful attention.
The open ivory register plates, carved with unparalleled precision, invite us into a mysterious dialogue with the atmosphere. They display an inch-of-mercury scale — an English standard of accuracy — and convey something almost metaphysical, as though the craftsman captured a moment in which science unveils the secrets of nature. Along the scale, text markings indicate standard weather conditions, elegantly placed in uppercase letters, creating a sense of order and progression, disrupted only by the word "Change", rendered in Gothic script. This element, set deliberately apart, suggests that the act of measuring nature is something elusive, slipping beyond the strictness of ordinary readings. The manual vernier, also made of ivory, blends with the scale’s lines, serving as a graceful and precise pointer, capable of capturing the subtlest shifts in pressure. On the left register plate is a mercury thermometer, equipped with both Fahrenheit and Celsius scales, as well as additional Heat Indications, which link the readings to real sensations of warmth or cold.
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cistern
brass, glass, ivory, wood
The boxwood cistern, with its yielding leather bottom, seems to carry symbolic weight — a reminder that precision need not always be rigid and unchanging. This feature, with its securing screw, holds back the forces of nature, preserving the soul of the instrument, its steadiness, and its endurance.
This barometer is more than a tool. It is a work of art, poised at the threshold of scientific advancement and the sensual pleasure of perfect form. Its monumental presence and flawless details embody a mastery where each element stands as a challenge to time, each facet a quiet reminder that both science and art find their expression in the simple measure of atmospheric pressure.
Thomas Mason (1781–1837) was an optician, and mathematical and philosophical instrument maker of Dublin, Ireland. He was a son of Seacombe Mason (1745–1804, a founder of a dynasty of opticians, and scientific and optical instrument makers), and worked in partnership with his brother, Jonathan Mason, trading as T. & J. Mason from 1805 until 1808, and again from 1813 until 1817. While not working in this partnership, he traded under his own name. He served as Optician to His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant in 1837. He was succeeded in business by his son, Seacombe Mason (1808–1892).