Bubble Level

From Inventions

Current revision as of 08:24, 10 September 2010

Name currently used to indicate any levelling instrument that makes use of a tube filled with water. Translation of the Latin libra aquaria.

Description

Instrument of ancient origin for levelling canals and water conduits. Vitruvius mentions it in Book VIII of De architectura as libra aquaria.

Bibliographical Resources

Vitruvio (Vitruvius Pollio, Marcus), De Architectura, a cura di Pierre Gros, Einaudi, Torino, 1997, 2 voll., Lib. VIII, cap. V (vol. II, p. 1137).

Existing Instruments

- Musée des arts et métiers, Paris
Paris, Musée des arts et métiers, inv. 21235-0036-
Paris, Musée des arts et métiers, inv. 06693-0001-
Paris, Musée des arts et métiers, inv. 04136-0000-
Paris, Musée des arts et métiers, inv. 04594-0000-
Paris, Musée des arts et métiers, inv. 03844-0000-
Paris, Musée des arts et métiers, inv. 02655-0001-

- Museum of the History of Science, Oxford
Museum of the History of Science, Oxford, inv. 16699
Museum of the History of Science, Oxford, inv. 54389
Museum of the History of Science, Oxford, inv. 46721
Museum of the History of Science, Oxford, inv. 48921
Museum of the History of Science, Oxford, inv. 74567
Museum of the History of Science, Oxford, inv. 92850

Links (External)

http://web.ct.infn.it/~museo/LIVELLA.HTM (Italian)
http://ishtar.df.unibo.it/mflu/html/applic2.html (Italian)
http://www.isissbuonarroti.it/museo/20.htm (Italian)
http://www.itgalucca.it/aggiornabili/documentazione/Nottolini/museo/schedf16.htm (Italian)
http://www.buildeazy.com/fp_waterlevel.html (English)

Images

Giacomo Contarini. Figure d'Istromenti Matematici, Oxford, c. 1590, c39.

Author of the entry: Filippo Camerota