Paul Reinmann Oval Diptych Dial
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1600
This oval diptych dial is an ivory and brass instrument measuring 55 x 74 x 11 mm, attributed to the maker Paul Reinmann and dated circa 1600. It is constructed in two leaves, with the interior surfaces featuring multiple timekeeping methods.
The upper leaf includes a vertical pin gnomon dial showing length of day and solar declination, alongside a string gnomon dial for common hours. The inner lower leaf contains a central compass, a string gnomon dial for common hours, and a scaphe dial indicating Italian and Babylonian hours. Decoration utilizes red and black pigments and includes celestial imagery such as sun and moon effigies. The outer surface of the lower leaf includes a lunar volvelle and a table of Julian epacts beginning in 1602.
The instrument features a maker's mark consisting of a coronet and stands on four bun feet in the spandrel spaces.
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
- Paul Reinmann
- Materials
- Ivory and brass
- Dimensions
- 55 x 74 x 11 mm
- Maker's mark
- Coronet
- Date reference
- 1602
- Place recorded
- Nuremberg
- Decoration colors
- Red and black
- Maker / attribution
- Paul Reinmann
Design
- Visible features
- • Features a wind rose with 32 directions on the exterior upper leaf. • The internal scaphe dial depicts a six-leaf flower at the center. • The dial is signed 'PAVLVS REINMAN' in red and black ink. • The compass is presently blank.
- Condition and Markings
- The object exhibits specific losses, notably the absence of the wind vane from the compartment located on the left edge. Additionally, the lunar volvelle located on the exterior of the lower leaf is described as incomplete in the museum record. The instrument bears a signature for Paul Reinmann on the upper leaf interior and a maker's mark in the form of a coronet at the bottom of the lower leaf exterior. The base is finished with four bun feet placed in the spandrel areas.
- Construction and Dial Layout
- The diptych dial is crafted from ivory and brass, configured as two hinged oval leaves. The interior upper leaf contains a vertical pin gnomon dial representing solar declination and day length, alongside a string gnomon dial for common hours ranging from 7 to 12 to 5. Decoration on this section includes celestial symbols and a sun effigy at the dial center. The interior lower leaf centers on a compass, flanked by a string gnomon dial for common hours. Below the compass is a scaphe dial that tracks Italian hours in black and Babylonian hours in red, with additional lunar and stellar iconography incorporated into the design.
- Exterior Features and Epact Table
- The exterior of the upper leaf serves as a navigation aid, containing a wind rose with 32 directions, 16 of which are explicitly labeled. This side also incorporates a brass index arm and a compass viewing hole for use when the instrument is closed. The exterior of the lower leaf provides calendrical information, featuring a lunar volvelle and a specific table of Julian epacts. The epact table is explicitly marked to correspond with the year 1602, which provides the primary evidence for the instrument's date of manufacture.
Identification
- Inventory number
- 40780
- 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: The lunar volvelle on the outer lower leaf is reported as incomplete.
- Research required: A wind vane originally located on the left edge is missing.
- Research required: The date of circa 1600 is suggested by the epact table, which begins in 1602.