Surveying Instruments for Floor Plans

The upper portion of the print shows a mechanical folding apparatus consisting of two connected rectangular leaves or arms held by a hinge, with a string tied to the pivot point and a corner. The lower portion features a circular, ring-like component with two parallel rectangular plates attached to its base; a long, knotted cord winds through the ring and trails off to the right. The style is that of a 17th-century woodcut or line engraving, rendered in stark black outlines against a neutral paper background.

This print is an illustration from Robert Fludd's 'Utriusque Cosmi Maioris scilicet et Minoris metaphysica, physica, atque technica Historia' (1617–1621), specifically relating to the practical application of geometry within his system of natural philosophy. It reflects the early modern transition toward standardized surveying and the quantification of physical space.