Objekt 13
Folding sundial for horizontal and vertical position
Description
In the 16th and early 17th centuries, Nuremberg was a center of folding sundial production. Folding sundials made of ivory were manufactured almost exclusively in Nuremberg between about 1450 and 1750. Nuremberg's location at the crossroads of important trade routes guaranteed an influx of both suppliers and buyers. The rise of Portugal as a seafaring nation around 1500 also facilitated the import of ivory from Africa, which as a very hard material was well suited for the production of sundials. Hanns Troschel (1549-1612) produced numerous folding sundials from ivory. The one shown here is signed with his name and can be used in both horizontal and vertical positions.
Object description
Manufacturer: Hanns Troschel (1549-1612)
Nuremberg
Ivory
Signature: Hanns Troschel
Gift of Prof. Fritz Burckhardt, Basel
Inv. 1881.127.