000-190-001-025-C
© National Museums Scotland |
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Diptych sundial (detail)
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 was made in the 17th century in Dieppe in France. The photograph shows the inside of the base.
The sunk compass is surrounded by a horizontal dial. Below the compass needle is a card giving names of French towns and information about them. There is also a magnetic agimuth scale which works together with the revolving disc on the base of the dial.
In the 16th century ivory diptych sundials came from three main centres: Nuremburg and Augsberg in Germany, and Dieppe in France. However, those made in France were rarely signed or dated.
Record details
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| Online ID: |
000-190-001-025-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
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| Material: |
Ivory, metal disc. Inscription: [On base] Names of French towns with information concerning them
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| Dimensions: |
2.88" x 2.38"
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| What: |
Sundial, universal
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| Subject: |
20. TIME MEASUREMENT, Sundials (Departmental Classification)
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| Who: |
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| Where: |
FRANCE
France, Dieppe
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| Event: |
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| 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
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| References: |
- For a similar example, see Lloyd, Steven A., Ivory Diptych Sundials 1570-1750. London & Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard, 1992. p 128, also pp 116-7
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