Diptych sundial (open)

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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.

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• Online ID: 000-100-102-673-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: 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
  Sundial, universal
  
• 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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