Diptych Dial by Paul Reinmann, 1578

Technical characteristics

Date

1578

Type

Nuremberg diptych dial

Maker

Paul Reinmann

Compass

18th century replacement by E. Ch. Stockert

Markings

Maker's mark is a crown

Materials

Ivory and brass

Dimensions

67 x 52 x 11 mm

Provenance

Gift of A.W. Franks, 1871

Place recorded

Nuremberg

Maker / attribution

Paul Reinmann

Design

Visible features

• Red and black colored ink in stamped markings • Brass hardware includes two securing clasps and a side arm • Interior sun face motif features a suspended plumb bob • Exterior lid features wind rose with German and Italian nomenclature

Dials and Timekeeping

The interior of the upper leaf features a vertical string gnomon dial, with hours numbered anticlockwise from 6 to 12 to 6. The center of this dial is decorated with an engraving of the sun's face, from which a plumb bob is suspended, housed within the cutout when the dial is closed. Above and below the dial face are the date '1578' and the signature 'PAVLVS REINMANN ZV NORMBERGE FACIEBAT'. The interior of the lower leaf houses a horizontal string gnomon dial with hours numbered clockwise from 4 to 12 to 8. Latin cardinal directions and the motto 'SOLI DEO GLORIA' are inscribed around the dial. The central compass is noted as a replacement, containing a card signed by E. Ch. Stockert, an eighteenth-century German maker. The outer surface of the lower leaf remains largely vacant, with the exception of the maker’s mark, which consists of a stamped crown.

Construction and Design

The diptych dial is a portable instrument formed by two ivory leaves held together by brass hinges and secured by brass clasps. It measures 67 by 52 by 11 millimeters. The surfaces are decorated with engraved geometrical patterns and leaves, with the stamped inscriptions throughout the device filled with red and black colours. One brass clasp is attached to the edge to maintain the open position during use. A pivoted arm is located on the side edge of the lower leaf, functioning to cover a cavity. The upper leaf serves multiple diagnostic functions. Its exterior face displays a wind rose with sixteen directions labelled in German and the names of eight winds in Italian, such as 'TRAMONTA' and 'LEVANTE'. Outside this wind rose, the markings indicate the cardinal directions for sun movement, specifically 'AVFGANG', 'MITTAG', 'NIDERGANG', and 'MITTERNACH'. A circular cutout in the northern section of this wind rose allows for the observation of the compass needle in the leaf below and provides clearance for the plumb bob suspended from the inner dial.

Provenance and Documentation

The instrument was acquired by the British Museum in 1871 as part of the MLA collection, identified by the registration number 1871,11-15.15. The acquisition is attributed to a gift from A.W. Franks. The item is formally catalogued within the broader study of European scientific instruments. The dial is further documented in the publication 'A catalogue of European Scientific Instruments in the Department of Medieval and Later Antiquities of the British Museum' by F. A. B. Ward, published in London in 1981. It is indexed there as item number 78 on page 35, providing a secondary reference for its history and physical description within museum archives.

Identification

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.