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 Diptych Dial The inner part of the upper leaf has a decorative motif of circles and stars above a pin gnomon dial (pin missing) for Italian hours numbered in red from 13 to 24. The string gnomon dial with common hours numbered from 6 to 12 to 6 in brown, encloses a vignette of a putto with his arm resting on a skull and the inscription '[star] PAVLVS [circle] REINMAN [star] ZV [circle] NORMBERG [star]'. At the bottom of the leaf is the date '15 [star] [star] 78'. The inner part of the lower leaf has a compass bowl (glass, ring and needle missing) enclosed in a decoration and a string gnomon dial with common hours numbered from 4 to 12 to 8 in red. A decoration of leaves is in the spandrel spaces. Below is a pin gnomon dial for Babylonian hours numbered from 1 to 15 and with motifs of stars. On the outer part of the lower leaf is a picture of a woman in Greek style veil (a Vestal virgin?) holding a pot of flowers framed by a decorated arch and border. On the bottom is punched the maker's mark (a coronet). All the edges carry geometrical decoration and on the left of the lower leaf is a compartment for the wind vane. See P. Gouk, The Ivory Sundials of Nuremberg 1500-1700 (Cambridge, 1988). Ilaria Meliconi |