Instrument (Walze) für die Herstellung eines ovalen Hohlraumes

The engraving depicts a horizontal axle with a crank handle on the left, supported by two vertical end-plates labeled A and B. Centered on the axle is a large elliptical shape labeled 'Oval-Form oder Modell.' Several letters, including V, I, and L, serve as reference points for a technical description of how the device functions.

This image originates from the works of Athanasius Kircher, a Jesuit polymath whose studies blended natural philosophy with esoteric interests. It reflects the 17th-century preoccupation with geometry and the mechanical reproduction of complex curves, which were vital to the development of early modern optics and astronomy.