Regency Period Mahogany & Satinwood Wheel or Banjo Barometer by C. Bellatti

A Regency Period Mahogany and Satinwood inlaid wheel or banjo barometer by C. Bellatti.

The barometer has an eight inch brass silvered dial with a measurement scale of 28 to 31 inches of atmospheric pressure which comes in complete and working order. It has a brass indicator arm for referencing previous weather patterns and is signed C. Bellatti fecit” (latin for : made this). To the neck it has a spirit filled thermometer with silvered backplate measuring a Fahrenheit scale.

Bellatti was established in 1810 in Burton on Trent and traded there until 1830 when he moved to Newark upon Trent and set up with his son. The business was named thereafter C. Bellatti & Son and it continued to trade until 1850.  

The body of the instrument is complete with a classic Palladian pediment and brass acorn finial. It has two superbly detailed floral inlay paterae to the top and bottom sections and two further exquisite shell motifs either side of the thermometer.  These inlays first became a common feature of late eighteenth century barometer design but proved so popular that the style continued to be made into the early part of the new century.

A lovely example circa 1810 - 1820