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Dieppe sundial
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TitleDieppe sundialDate1600sAbout this objectThis pocket-size sundial is a fine example of ivory diptych sundials manufactured in Dieppe, France in the second half of the 17th century. Combining sundial, lunar volvelle, compass and a perpetual calendar, this intricately fabricated device serves navigational and calendrical functions, and its exquisite engravings are reminders of the fine craftsmanship at the time.
Made of ivory, this diptych sundial consists of two hinged leaves that unfold like a diptych painting. When opened, a string holding the two leaves acts as the gnomon, ensuring the two leaves open at the appropriate angle. To use it, the sundial needs to be placed on a horizontal surface with the string gnomon pointing towards the north. Its shadow cast by the sun indicates the local time on the main dial. The outer face of the upper leaf is engraved with equinoctial dial, where the numbers 1–12 twice around the circumference indicate 24 hours. The inner face of the upper leaf features a silvered brass lunar volvelle with the months engraved in French. The lower leaf contains a glazed compass with paper scale, marked with names of European cities – primarily French cities – and a steel needle. An arm folds into a groove positioned on the edge of the leaf. All four surfaces in the sundial are decorated with floral designs on each corner.
Similar sundials are found in the collection of Musée national de la Marine, which holds five sundials manufactured from the same model. They were made around 1670 in Dieppe, when the city was a hub for ivory trade with Guinea. Ivory workshop in Dieppe can be traced back to the 15th century, where craftsmen worked with elephant tusks, narwhal, cachalot and hippopotamus teeth. Most production focused on small-size items commissioned by local high society, such as jars, statuettes, medallions and fans.
Dieppe was a major fishing port in the Middle Ages, supplying Paris with fish, and became involved in long-distance trade in the 15th century. It was a port of departure for Canada, French Guiana, Reunion Island and the Antilles. ‘Consequently, the manufacture of navigation instruments complemented its other activities, all the more so when a well-known cartography school opened its doors in Dieppe in the 16th century’ (Musée national de la Marine). Object No.88.2Physical descriptionMade of ivory, this diptych sundial consists of two hinged leaves that unfold like a diptych painting. When opened, a string holding the two leaves acts as the gnomon, ensuring the two leaves open at the appropriate angle. To use it, the sundial needs to be placed on a horizontal surface with the string gnomon pointing towards the north. Its shadow cast by the sun indicates the local time on the main dial. The outer face of the upper leaf is engraved with equinoctial dial, where the numbers 1–12 twice around the circumference indicate 24 hours. The inner face of the upper leaf features a silvered brass lunar volvelle with the months engraved in French. The lower leaf contains a glazed compass with paper scale, marked with names of European cities – primarily French cities – and a steel needle. An arm folds into a groove positioned on the edge of the leaf. All four surfaces in the sundial are decorated with floral designs on each corner. DimensionsH: 7.1cm
W: 6.1cm
D: 1.6cmPlace madeFranceMaterialIvoryGlassPewterBrassPaperSourceLa Perouse MuseumProvenance late 17th c. - produced in Dieppe, France;
1988 - donated to La Perouse Museum by the Laperouse Association for the Australian BicentenaryCredit lineGift of Laperouse Association for the Australian Bicentenary, 1988Acquisition date1988On displayYesTypeMuseum objectsOrganisations (Detailed entries)La Perouse Museum (La Perouse, N.S.W.)Production notesA sundial is a timekeeping device that indicates the time of the day by the position of the gnomon’s shadow. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a sharp, straight edge. As the sun moves across the sky, the shadow-edge aligns with different hour-lines. All sundials must be aligned with the axis of the Earth’s rotation to tell the correct time. In most designs, the style must point towards true celestial north, not the north magnetic pole, meaning the angle of the style should match the sundial’s latitude.
Its design resembles a collection of five sundials held by the Musée national de la Marine, attributed to Dieppe around 1670, when the city was a hub for ivory trade with Guinea. ‘What is special about the Dieppe sundial is that it includes a magnetic azimuth dial around the meridional orientation compass, on which the time is shown by means of a shadow. There is a perpetual calendar on the back, showing Sundays along with the latitudes of 24 major cities’.
Ivory workshop in Dieppe can be traced back to the 15th century, where craftsmen worked with elephant tusks, narwhal, cachalot and hippopotamus teeth. Most production focused on small-size items commissioned by local high society, such as jars, statuettes, medallions and fans.
Dieppe was a major fishing port in the Middle Ages, supplying Paris with fish, and became involved in long-distance trade in the 15th century. It was a port of departure for Canada, French Guiana, Reunion Island and the Antilles. ‘Consequently, the manufacture of navigation instruments complemented its other activities, all the more so when a well-known cartography school opened its doors in Dieppe in the 16th century.’
https://www.musee-marine.fr/en/collections/portr-louis/sundial-from-dieppe.htmlThemesEuropean arrivalsScience and communication
Made of ivory, this diptych sundial consists of two hinged leaves that unfold like a diptych painting. When opened, a string holding the two leaves acts as the gnomon, ensuring the two leaves open at the appropriate angle. To use it, the sundial needs to be placed on a horizontal surface with the string gnomon pointing towards the north. Its shadow cast by the sun indicates the local time on the main dial. The outer face of the upper leaf is engraved with equinoctial dial, where the numbers 1–12 twice around the circumference indicate 24 hours. The inner face of the upper leaf features a silvered brass lunar volvelle with the months engraved in French. The lower leaf contains a glazed compass with paper scale, marked with names of European cities – primarily French cities – and a steel needle. An arm folds into a groove positioned on the edge of the leaf. All four surfaces in the sundial are decorated with floral designs on each corner.
Similar sundials are found in the collection of Musée national de la Marine, which holds five sundials manufactured from the same model. They were made around 1670 in Dieppe, when the city was a hub for ivory trade with Guinea. Ivory workshop in Dieppe can be traced back to the 15th century, where craftsmen worked with elephant tusks, narwhal, cachalot and hippopotamus teeth. Most production focused on small-size items commissioned by local high society, such as jars, statuettes, medallions and fans.
Dieppe was a major fishing port in the Middle Ages, supplying Paris with fish, and became involved in long-distance trade in the 15th century. It was a port of departure for Canada, French Guiana, Reunion Island and the Antilles. ‘Consequently, the manufacture of navigation instruments complemented its other activities, all the more so when a well-known cartography school opened its doors in Dieppe in the 16th century’ (Musée national de la Marine). Object No.88.2Physical descriptionMade of ivory, this diptych sundial consists of two hinged leaves that unfold like a diptych painting. When opened, a string holding the two leaves acts as the gnomon, ensuring the two leaves open at the appropriate angle. To use it, the sundial needs to be placed on a horizontal surface with the string gnomon pointing towards the north. Its shadow cast by the sun indicates the local time on the main dial. The outer face of the upper leaf is engraved with equinoctial dial, where the numbers 1–12 twice around the circumference indicate 24 hours. The inner face of the upper leaf features a silvered brass lunar volvelle with the months engraved in French. The lower leaf contains a glazed compass with paper scale, marked with names of European cities – primarily French cities – and a steel needle. An arm folds into a groove positioned on the edge of the leaf. All four surfaces in the sundial are decorated with floral designs on each corner. DimensionsH: 7.1cm
W: 6.1cm
D: 1.6cmPlace madeFranceMaterialIvoryGlassPewterBrassPaperSourceLa Perouse MuseumProvenance late 17th c. - produced in Dieppe, France;
1988 - donated to La Perouse Museum by the Laperouse Association for the Australian BicentenaryCredit lineGift of Laperouse Association for the Australian Bicentenary, 1988Acquisition date1988On displayYesTypeMuseum objectsOrganisations (Detailed entries)La Perouse Museum (La Perouse, N.S.W.)Production notesA sundial is a timekeeping device that indicates the time of the day by the position of the gnomon’s shadow. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a sharp, straight edge. As the sun moves across the sky, the shadow-edge aligns with different hour-lines. All sundials must be aligned with the axis of the Earth’s rotation to tell the correct time. In most designs, the style must point towards true celestial north, not the north magnetic pole, meaning the angle of the style should match the sundial’s latitude.
Its design resembles a collection of five sundials held by the Musée national de la Marine, attributed to Dieppe around 1670, when the city was a hub for ivory trade with Guinea. ‘What is special about the Dieppe sundial is that it includes a magnetic azimuth dial around the meridional orientation compass, on which the time is shown by means of a shadow. There is a perpetual calendar on the back, showing Sundays along with the latitudes of 24 major cities’.
Ivory workshop in Dieppe can be traced back to the 15th century, where craftsmen worked with elephant tusks, narwhal, cachalot and hippopotamus teeth. Most production focused on small-size items commissioned by local high society, such as jars, statuettes, medallions and fans.
Dieppe was a major fishing port in the Middle Ages, supplying Paris with fish, and became involved in long-distance trade in the 15th century. It was a port of departure for Canada, French Guiana, Reunion Island and the Antilles. ‘Consequently, the manufacture of navigation instruments complemented its other activities, all the more so when a well-known cartography school opened its doors in Dieppe in the 16th century.’
https://www.musee-marine.fr/en/collections/portr-louis/sundial-from-dieppe.htmlThemesEuropean arrivalsScience and communication
Dieppe sundial (1600s). Randwick City Council, accessed 13/01/2026, https://ourstory.randwick.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/12261