Diptych Dial, circa 1600
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1600
This diptych dial is a portable scientific instrument constructed from ivory and brass, measuring 40 x 63 x 9 mm. Held in the collection of the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford, the instrument is unsigned, though it bears a coronet-shaped maker's mark on the outer lower leaf.
The device functions as a multi-purpose timekeeper. The upper leaf includes a lunar volvelle on the exterior, and internal pin gnomon and string gnomon dials. The lower leaf houses an internal compass with magnetic deviation indicated, alongside a string gnomon dial and a pin gnomon dial for Italian hours. The dial is attributed to Nuremberg circa 1600, with the maker's mark posing identification challenges, as it shares characteristics with both the Reinmann and Lesel families.
It remains an example of 17th-century ivory instrument production in Nuremberg.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Nuremberg diptych dial
- Origin
- Nuremberg
- Materials
- Ivory and brass
- Dimensions
- 40 x 63 x 9 mm
- Maker's Mark
- Coronet
- Place recorded
- Nuremberg
- Maker Attribution
- Uncertain (Reinmann or Lesel family)
Design
- Visible features
- • Internal brass compass with visible needle • Red ink used for Italian hour numbering • Two pin gnomons attached to the ivory leaves • Engraved sun effigy at the center of the upper dial
- Collection and Reference
- This object is part of the collection of the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford, recorded under the number 34722. It is included in the Epact database of scientific instruments from Medieval and Renaissance Europe. The dial is referenced in the scholarly study, 'The Ivory Sundials of Nuremberg 1500-1700' by P. Gouk (1988). The attribution of the dial remains subject to academic review due to the ambiguous nature of the maker's punch.
- Dial Layout and Configuration
- The diptych dial features a complex arrangement of timekeeping surfaces on the interior faces of the ivory leaves. The upper leaf contains a pin gnomon dial for Italian hours, numbered in red from 14 to 24, and a string gnomon dial for common hours marked from 7 to 12 to 5. A sun effigy is engraved within eccentric circles at the center of this dial. The lower leaf contains an inset compass with magnetic deviation markings. This is surrounded by a string gnomon dial for common hours, with numbering from 5 to 12 to 7, and a pin gnomon dial for Italian hours numbered in red from 11 to 22. Both string dials utilize dots and lines to indicate half and quarter-hour intervals.
- Exterior Features and Attribution
- The exterior of the upper leaf displays a lunar volvelle featuring a moon effigy. The exterior of the lower leaf is largely plain, serving primarily as the location for the maker's mark, which is a stamped coronet. The instrument is unsigned and its manufacture remains associated with the Reinmann or Lesel families of Nuremberg based on the mark. The complexity of the markings indicates it was intended for use in calculating both common and Italian hours, supported by the integral compass for correct alignment.
Identification
- Inventory Number
- 34722
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: Attribution is difficult due to an ambiguous maker's mark
- Research required: The crown-shaped mark may belong to either the Reinmann or Lesel families