Polyhedral dial for latitudes 20°-80° North (base latitude 49° North). This wooden cube dial is set on a wooden base-plate supported by four small round feet. Both the obverse side of the base and five sides of the cube are faced with printed, red and orange coloured paper. A compass is set into the base. It has an eight-point rose with named points in French and a magnetic variation scale divided [0°]-40° (the variation is marked at 22° West of North). A turned wooden pillar, with a pivoted ball joint half way up, supports the cube.

The horizontal dial has an hour scale numbered clockwise IIII-XII, I-VIII and the North and South verticals, marked 'NORD' and 'SUD', also display hour scales. The West vertical dial has a diagonal hour scale and a depiction of cherubs with a garland. The East vertical dial is the same except the cherubs hold a latitude arc. There is a metal loop at the top of this, which would once have held the latitude indicator, which also acted as a plumb bob. There are five polar gnomons made of brass and set for a base latitude of 49° North. 'D. BERINGER' is signed on the North face.

Beringer was probably the first maker to produce this type of polyhedral dial, which became popular in South Germany towards the end of the 18th century. The British Museum collection includes a fine Beringer cube dial (registration no. 1896,3-5.1).

For more information regarding this dial please refer to the OUP & NMM catalogue, 'Sundials at Greenwich'.