Albrecht Durer’s enigmatic polyhedron from 1514, machined for the modern age.
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Welcome to our 23th Kickstarter campaign!!! We have a track record on Kickstarter for providing unparalleled customer service and a 100% fulfillment rate. We have been privileged to share our products with over 8,000+ backers worldwide!
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Introducing the Durer Polyhedron!!
The Durer Polyhedron, also commonly referred to as Durer’s Polyhedron, Durer Cube or Durer Solid, is a Truncated Triangular Trapezohedron made famous by German Renaissance artist, mathematician and overall polymath Albrecht Durer (1471-1528). The Durer Polyhedron first appeared in Durer’s 1514 engraving Melencolia I and for over 500 years has been one of the most discussed and mysterious polyhedra in the world.
The goal of this Kickstarter is to bring to life, through CNC machining, Durer’s Polyhedron in several sizes, metals and finishes. As much as we love math shapes, we are also big fans of excessively designed quality goods. We hope combining these two passions excites you and piques your curiosity. Whether you are a designer, engineer, architect, educator, student or math lover, thank you for taking the time to view our campaign!
Custom Engraving
We plan to offer optional custom engraving with your choice of text or artwork. This could be a name, meaningful quote, logo, poem, or almost any other design you’d like.
If you’re interested in this option, please keep an eye on our Kickstarter updates. We’d love your feedback on the best way to offer and manage custom engraving.
The engraving is created directly in the metal using a laser. It is not paint or ink. The resulting black markings are permanent and virtually imperceptible to the touch.
Math& Art History Talk ⬙
Thousands of books have been written on the development of art and geometry in the renaissance era. One of the leading figures of the era, working to advance the fields of art, logic, and mathematics, was the famed artist and polymath Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528).
We take it for granted today, but in the 15th century, drawing with perspective was a new discovery. Artists like Albrecht Dürer and Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) pioneered its use, believing that math and geometry were the secret to making better art.
Although Dürer never met Leonardo da Vinci, Dürer was familiar with his work. He did, however, meet Luca Pacioli (1447–1517), da Vinci’s mathematics tutor. Pacioli is remembered both for developing double-entry accounting and for authoring the groundbreaking geometry book De divina proportione (On Divine Proportion) in 1509 (da Vinci was the book’s illustrator).
Outside of academia, Durer was a wealthy celebrity artist. In 1512 he began working for Emperor Maximilian I, and a few years later he created arguably his most famous engraving: Melencolia I (1514). At the heart of it sits the mysterious polyhedron we now call the Dürer Solid. Though he published books of geometry and often left notes about his work, he left no explanation, no notes, no blueprint—just the enigma. For 500 years, mathematicians have tried to solve its geometry and origins, but the mystery remains, what did Dürer intend?
AltDynamic Quality & Design
Each Durer Polyhedra is machined from a solid bar of Stainless Steel. We will NOT be casting them.
Dimensions
- Mini Height: .82 in. (20.8 mm) – Mini Steel Weight: ~1.2 oz, 34 g
- Classic Height: 2.27 in. (57.7 mm) – Classic Steel Weight: ~1.4 lbs, .63 kg
Finishes – Stainless Steel Mirror & Satin
Satin Finish: This finish has a flat sheen and hides fingerprints well. The surface is dotted with microscopic craters which reflect light in a diffuse manner. This finish is very similar to that found on Apple computers or laptops.
Mirror Polish: This finish is highly polished and is literally a small mirror. It is so reflective you can see yourself or see what is happening behind you. It is extremely lustrous.
Production Milestone Timeline
We will give regular updates of each milestone below post-campaign to make sure all backers are in the loop! Our goal is to make this the best Kickstarter you have ever backed!
Pledge Rewards
Once the campaign ends, you will receive a Backer Survey email from Kickstarter where you will choose relevant options for your pledge and provide us your shipping information. Message us if you have a question on how to pledge.
We included some of our other shapes in pledge categories. See below. More images can be found on AltDynamic.com.
da Vinci Sekeletal Dodecahedron
Orbiform, solids of constant width.
Our Mission is to Make Awesome Products & Happy Backers!
