DIPTICAL IVORY CADRAN OF BLOUD TYPE, DIEPPE, FRANCE, LATE 17th CENTURY, steel, paper.
Portable diptych ivory sundial, rectangular in shape, consisting of two shelves (4 sides) connected by two metal hinges.
The
4 sides are engraved in black and bear the typical Dieppe dial decoration: a serrated frieze along the edges of
the various dials.

The upper surface of the cover has an equatorial graduated dial "1-12-1-12" and a polar dial with two graduated scales "9-12-3" joined by vertical lines. A small central hole is used to fix the gnomon

needle (here missing). The

inner upper face has a lunar metal volvelle graduated from 1 to 30 surrounded by a graduated dial "1-12-1-12" with on the right side, a

graduated

scale

"0-80".

On the plate, a horizontal dial, with a wire-axis (missing wire), surrounds a compass. The time scale of the dial "5-12-7" is engraved in black. At the bottom of the compass, a printed paper indicates 4 directions: "Septentrion, Orient, Mydy, Occident" as well as the latitudes of 24 European cities. The needle with pivot and the elliptical metal scale are missing as well as the flat glass. Three hooks are used to keep

the dial

open and

closed.

Charming piece although incomplete, the decoration is simplified compared to Bloud's work, a very close model is kept at Harvard, see: Steven A. Lloyd, Ivory Diptych Sundials, 1570-1750, 1992, p.

140, n°77

.Miniature Ivory Diptych dial, unsigned, late 17th century, Dieppe (

France).

DIM. 55 X 4.5 X 12 MM - DIAM. COMPASS: 30 MM - 2 1/8 X 1/8 X 1/8 X 1/2 IN. - DIAM. 1 1/8

IN.