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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Rome, Italy · Dates not established

Carlo Plato

Partially verified

Maker of catalogued italian horizontal dial

Life & work

Carlo Plato's primary output was horizontal sundials, often fitted with pivoted or gimballed compasses for orientation.

Plato's dials were designed to track diverse timekeeping systems, including Babylonian, unequal, Italian, and common hours. The maker also demonstrated a preference for bilingual notation, often labeling cardinal points and winds in both Latin and Italian. Attributions to Plato have been made based on instrument engravings and initials, such as the Car. PL. mark found on an armillary sphere.

The fuller biography summarises the open references listed under Sources; each statement was checked against the cited passage. Confirm key dates in period documents before relying on them.

Training, contributions & innovations

  • His sundials often utilized bilingual labeling for geographic and time-related terminology.
  • Plato integrated gimbaled or pivoted compass mechanisms into his horizontal dial designs to assist with proper alignment.

Documented works

  • The Museo Galileo preserves an armillary sphere with markings attributed to Plato.
  • A multi-dial instrument from the Medici collections, consisting of a disk with four horizontal dials, is also attributed to the maker.

Collecting significance

The catalogued pieces listed on this page show the kinds of objects auction houses, dealers and museums attribute to this maker; each attribution is the source's own.

Firms, key models & movements

No firm, model or movement in this encyclopedia is yet recorded under this maker's name.

In the object catalogue

4 catalogued objects are recorded under Carlo Plato. Attributions are as given by each source and are not independent authentication.

  • Horizontal dial in the form of a hinged book, signed by Carlo Plato, 1593, showing the opened covers and interior brass plate.
  • Horizontal dial, brass, dated 1588, attributed to Carlo Plato of Rome.
  • A brass horizontal pin gnomon dial with its leather-covered pasteboard case, featuring compass and inscriptions in Latin and Italian.
  • A gilt brass horizontal dial with a pivoted compass and pin gnomon, attributed to Carlo Plato, 1585.

Sources & references

  1. horizontal dial; sundial; compass-dial | British Museum, British Museum, retrieved 2026-11-03 (paraphrased; text © the publisher)
  2. Museo Galileo - Armillary sphere, Museo Galileo, retrieved 2026-11-03 (paraphrased; text © the publisher)
  3. Museo Galileo - Sundial, Museo Galileo, retrieved 2026-11-03 (paraphrased; text © the publisher)

Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.