A Catalogue of the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments
Steven Lloyd
Penelope Gouk
A. J. Turner
During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, ivory diptych dials became popular devices for determining the time by the sun during the day or by the moon at night. These elaborate portable sundials, which could be adjusted for use in different latitudes, incorporated various devices useful for merchants and others who traveled extensively to Europe.
Ivory Diptych Sundials, 1570 - 1750 is a catalogue illustrating in detail Harvard's collection of 82 ivory diptych sundials, one of the largest holdings of these instruments in the world. The collection encompasses a comprehensive array of styles and designs from Nuremberg, Paris, and Dieppe, the major centers of their production, as well as from other parts of Europe.
Copies of Ivory Diptych Sundials, 1570 - 1750 may be purchased through
Harvard University Press.