Record

Diptych sundial (open)

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made in Dieppe, France

Postcard of Diptych sundial (open).
000-100-102-673-C
© National Museums Scotland

Diptych sundial (open)

Diptych sundials have two plates hinged together, and in use open out to form a right angle, with the string hinge operating as a gnomon. This ivory example (pictured here open) was made in the 17th century in Dieppe in France. It is unsigned.

The inside of the base has a sunk compass surrounded by a horizontal dial.

This is a form of diptych dial known as a magnetic agimuth dial. This type of dial only works effectively when the Earth's magnetic declination is zero, as was the case for Dieppe in the late 17th century.


Record details

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Online ID: 000-100-102-673-C
Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
Project: 0098: National Museums Scotland
Project description | View all records in project
Ref: National Museums Scotland  T.1924.13
Date: 17th century
Material: Ivory, metal disc. Inscription: [On base] Names of French towns with information concerning them
Dimensions: 2.88" x 2.38"
What: Sundial, universal
Subject: 20. TIME MEASUREMENT, Sundials (Departmental Classification)
Who:
Where: FRANCE
France, Dieppe
Event:
Description: French universal sundial in ivory, book form, base with sunk compass surrounded by horizontal dial, analemmatic dial, moon dial and equinoctial and polar dials, unsigned, Dieppe, 17th century
References:
  • For a similar example, see Lloyd, Steven A., Ivory Diptych Sundials 1570-1750. London & Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard, 1992. p 128 
Translations:
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