Polyhedral Sundial
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
16th century
This table-top polyhedral sundial is an octahedron measuring 160 mm in height, mounted on a turned baluster pillar stand. The instrument is crafted from wood and features painted decorations in blue, red, and gold.
The surfaces are calibrated for a latitude of 43° 30', intended for use in Florence and Pisa. The dial surfaces include horizontal, reclining, and inclining faces, each featuring pin gnomons and hour lines traced for Italian timekeeping. The horizontal surface incorporates an inset magnetic compass. While unsigned, the instrument is attributed to Stefano Buonsignori, an Olivetan friar who served Francesco I de' Medici, based on the construction techniques and the specific style of the applied foliate ornamentation.
The dial surfaces are painted in white with black line work, contrasted by areas of red, blue, and green grounds decorated with flowing gold foliate patterns.
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
- Form
- Octahedron
- Type
- Italian polyhedral dial
- Maker
- Stefano Buonsignori
- Latitude
- 43° 30'
- Material
- Wood
- Inscription
- Elevatio poli Boreales Graduum Quadragintatrium Minutorum XXX
- Dial markings
- Italian hours
- Place recorded
- Italy
- Maker / attribution
- attributed to Stefano Buonsignori
Design
- Visible features
- • The dial is shaped as a regular octahedron. • It stands on a dark, turned wood baluster pillar. • A compass is set into the horizontal top surface.
- Construction and Geometry
- The sundial is constructed as a regular octahedron made of wood, measuring 160 mm in height. It is supported by a turned single-stem baluster pillar stand, which elevates the dial for observation. The geometry of the octahedron allows for a variety of dial surfaces, including three inclining and declining faces, three reclining and declining faces, and a single horizontal top surface. The surfaces are finished with a white ground upon which the hour lines are drawn in black. The dial includes pin gnomons on various faces, consistent with the requirements for the indicated latitude. The horizontal surface, which houses an inset compass, is painted on a green ground, a feature that distinguishes it from the red, blue, or black backgrounds found elsewhere on the instrument.
- Attribution and Decoration
- Although the instrument does not bear a signature, it is attributed to Stefano Buonsignori, an Olivetan friar who was in the service of Francesco I de' Medici during the 16th century. The attribution rests on the specific construction and the decoration techniques employed. The instrument displays controlled, flowing foliate decoration in gold applied over grounds of red, blue, or black. While the dials are drawn in black on a white ground, the overall decorative scheme aligns with the known output of the friar's workshop.
- Calibration and Inscriptions
- The dial is calibrated specifically for a latitude of 43° 30', corresponding to the cities of Florence and Pisa. This specification is explicitly stated in an inscription on the north inclining face: 'Elevatio poli Boreales Graduum Quadragintatrium Minutorum XXX'. The dials are designed to indicate Italian hours. The three reclining dials feature a Latin motto arranged in horizontal bands across the top of each dial. The text reads: 'Oritur sol & occidit & at locum suum / revertitur ibiq{ue} renasces girat p{er} meridien' / 'flectur ad Aq{ui}lone, & in circulos suos revertitur'. These inscriptions are painted in a clear, legible script on the face of the instrument.
Identification
- Reference
- 2455
- Inventory Number
- 2455
- 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 attribution to Stefano Buonsignori is based on stylistic analysis rather than a signature.
- Research required: The green ground used on the horizontal surface is noted as an unusual departure from the maker's typical color palette.