Add to albumDiptych 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.
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- Online ID: 000-190-001-025-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, also pp 116-7
- Translations:
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