Epact Scientific Instruments of Medieval and Renaissance Europe

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Diptych Dial
Unsigned
circa 1600; Nuremberg
Ebony and ivory; 125 x 78 x 4 mm

Only the upper leaf of this wooden dial remains. The outer side has a central ivory circular plate with a wind rose, with 32 directions and a coloured sun effigy in the centre. In the spandrel spaces are four smaller ivory circles (the top right is missing) decorated with birds. The wooden space is decorated with foliage motifs.

The inner side has a string gnomon dial in the centre with a coloured sun effigy, marking common hours from VII to XII to V with lines and dots for the half and quarter hours. At the top sides there are two other ivory discs. The left one has a pin gnomon dial (pin missing) with the length of the day and the declination of the sun, inscribed 'TAG LENG' and with symbols of the zodiacal signs. The right one has a pin gnomon dial (pin missing) with Italian hours marked in red from 14 to 24. Both carry leaf decoration. At the bottom sides the ivory discs are smaller and are decorated with four-leaf flowers. The same foliage motif as in the outer side is on the wooden part.

See P. Gouk, The Ivory Sundials of Nuremberg 1500-1700 (Cambridge, 1988).

Ilaria Meliconi

Museum of the History of Science, Oxford
Inventory number 49666

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