Diptych Dial by Hans Tucher, 1600

Technical characteristics

Date

1600

Type

Nuremberg diptych dial

Maker

Hans Tucher

Material

Ivory and brass

Dimensions

72 x 90 x 12 mm

Place recorded

Nuremberg

Place of origin

Nuremberg

Maker / attribution

Hans Tucher

Design

Visible features

• Oval ivory casing construction • String gnomon for common hour tracking • Compass set within the lower leaf • Serpent maker's mark present on lower leaf

Construction and Design

The diptych dial is an oval instrument constructed primarily from ivory, accented with brass components. The design consists of two hinged leaves that house various astronomical and temporal measuring features. The upper leaf includes a wind rose featuring 32 directions on its exterior, alongside a compass viewing hole and brass supports. The interior of the upper leaf serves as a pin gnomon dial for tracking the length of the day, marked with zodiacal symbols and numerical hour scales. The lower leaf contains an integrated magnetic compass and a string gnomon dial, which is designed to be adjustable for specific latitudes. A central scaphe dial is positioned to measure Italian hours, which are inscribed in red. The overall assembly measures 72 by 90 by 12 mm and includes four bun feet for stability when the dial is opened for use.

Maker and Identification

The object is signed by the maker Hans Tucher and is dated to 1600. A distinctive maker's mark in the form of a serpent is punched into the ivory surface, appearing on the outside of the lower leaf and again in the center of the interior of the lower leaf. This mark serves as the primary identifier for the maker within the context of Nuremberg instrument production. The dial is currently held in the collection of the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford, under inventory number 50246. References to this specific type of instrument are discussed in P. Gouk's publication regarding Nuremberg ivory sundials.

Astronomical Features and Inscriptions

The dial incorporates multiple methods for determining time and solar positions. The interior of the upper leaf is engraved with an instructional Latin text, "IMPONE FILVM HORAMINI QVOD LOCI TVI POLVM INDICAT ET HORA HABEBITVR IN CIRCVLO QVI EODEM NVMERO POLARI INSCRIBITVR," which guides the user in setting the string gnomon according to their local latitude. The outer side of the lower leaf includes a lunar volvelle to assist with night-time timekeeping. A warning is engraved around this feature in Latin, cautioning the user that the compass needle may not function correctly if the instrument is kept in proximity to iron. The Italian hour scale on the scaphe dial is rendered in red, providing a clear visual contrast to the black engravings used elsewhere on the ivory surfaces.

Identification

Inventory number

50246

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.