Diptych Dial, circa 1600 (636345)
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1600
This diptych dial is constructed from ivory and brass, measuring 87 x 122 x 14 mm. Attributed to Thomas Tucher, the object is not signed, but features the maker's mark of a crowned snake punched twice within the compass bowl.
The dial is decorated with green and brown foliate motifs and fruit and flower imagery. It includes a string gnomon, a pin gnomon, a lunar volvelle, and a table of 17 towns with their corresponding latitudes. The lower leaf contains two scaphe dials, one for Italian hours and one for Babylonian hours. Four bun feet are present on the exterior. The left edge of the lower leaf includes a compartment, although the associated wind vane is missing.
The object is held in the collection of the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford.
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
- Maker
- Thomas Tucher
- Material
- Ivory and brass
- Dimensions
- 87 x 122 x 14 mm
- Maker's Mark
- Crowned snake
- Place recorded
- Nuremberg
- Place of Origin
- Nuremberg
- Maker / attribution
- Thomas Tucher
Design
- Visible features
- • Maker's mark of a crowned snake punched twice in the compass bowl • Includes a table of 17 towns with latitudes • Exterior features a lunar volvelle marked 'NACHT VHR' • Features green and brown foliate and fruit decoration
- Construction and Design
- The diptych dial is a rectangular instrument composed of ivory and brass with dimensions of 87 x 122 x 14 mm. The surface is detailed with green and brown pigment, featuring foliate, flower, and fruit decorations across the leaves and spandrels. The object rests on four bun feet. The upper leaf houses a pin gnomon dial with common hours marked from VII to XII to V, alongside a string gnomon dial adjusted for latitudes 42, 48, and 54 degrees. The outer leaf includes a wind rose showing 32 directions, a compass viewing hole, and a brass index arm.
- Compass and Scaphe Dials
- The interior of the lower leaf contains a compass with cardinal points labeled 'S', 'ORI ENS', 'M', and 'OCCI DENS', with a fleur-de-lis indicating north. The maker's mark, a crowned snake, is punched twice into this section. Two scaphe dials are situated below the compass: the left dial tracks Italian hours from 9 to 23, while the right dial displays Babylonian hours from 1 to 15. Both scaphes feature sun effigies and are positioned to support specific latitude readings, marked 'P 45 G' and 'P 48 G' respectively.
- Additional Features and Attribution
- The exterior of the lower leaf contains a lunar volvelle labeled 'NACHT VHR' and a table of epacts beginning 17/7. A specific compartment on the left edge was intended to hold a wind vane, though this component is currently missing from the assembly. Attribution to Thomas Tucher is based upon the presence of the crowned snake mark, which is associated with the Tucher workshops in Nuremberg. The latitude indicators are marked 'POLVS HEG', a specific phrasing observed on this dial.
Identification
- Inventory Number
- 46994
- 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: Maker is attributed to Thomas Tucher rather than confirmed by signature
- Research required: Wind vane is missing from the compartment on the left edge