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Sundials For Sale
Period: 1960s
Weathered Brass Garden Sundial This sundial is made in Cast Brass
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
Weathered Brass Garden Sundial This sundial is made in Cast Brass, it is a heavy piece, the numerals are Roman and there are also the astrological signs around the bottom A very att...
Category

1960s Classical Roman Vintage Sundials

Materials

Brass

Swedish Armillary Sculpture
Located in Atlanta, GA
This figural armillary of Atlas, constructed of metal with a copper numeric banding, hails from Sweden. Original matte black finish and mounted on a well-proportioned custom wooden pedestal also painted in black lacquer. It is missing one strip of numbers on the inside ring but makes a beautiful over-sized sculpture for a variety of decor styles. Please note the listing is for the sculpture only. The antique white pedestal...
Category

1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Sundials

Materials

Metal

Related Items
Atlas Armillary Sundial in Pewter Finish with Brass Accents
Located in Stamford, CT
The Greeks have used sundials to measure time since 100 B.C. Reminiscent of classic Greek mythology, this Atlas Armillary Sundial will demand attention, ...
Category

2010s Indian Sundials

Materials

Aluminum, Brass

Monumental Carved Stone and Iron Armillary Sundial from Italy, H-99.5 inches
Located in Dallas, TX
Standing at over eight feet tall (99.5 inches!), this monumental stone and iron armillary sundial was hand-carved in Italy. The four-ring armillary sphere has a central arrow gnomon ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Sundials

Materials

Stone, Limestone, Metal, Iron

Carved Italian Marble Sundial with Iron Gnomon
Located in Dallas, TX
Hand-carved in Italy, this beautiful marble sundial has a turned iron gnomon that mirrors a thin twisted rope molding along the outer edges. Beneath the gnomon attachment are colored inserts that form a blue, red, yellow, and green compass rose, providing a colorful contrast to the cream marble with subtle tan and gray veining. As the earth rotates on its axis, the gnomon casts a shadow onto the marble which is incised with Roman Numerals on a stylized scroll. Directly under the tip of the angled gnomon is “XII”, indicating noon. The numbers to the left of XII run counterclockwise, starting with “VI”. On the opposite side, the numerals continue in a counterclockwise manner, terminating in a second “VI” (which would be PM if the sundial...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Sundials

Materials

Marble, Iron

English Late 19th Century Sundial with Carved Limestone and Bronze Top
Located in Atlanta, GA
An English sundial from the late 19th century, with carved limestone and bronze top. This English sundial features an obelisk-shaped base, raised on a pyramidal plinth, with cut-off ...
Category

Late 19th Century English Antique Sundials

Materials

Sandstone, Bronze

Italian Baluster Form Sundial in Carved Limestone
Located in Dallas, TX
Hand-carved with a baluster form column, this Italian sundial is topped by a four-ring iron armillary sphere with a lancing arrow gnomon. The robust column has multiple incuts and pr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Sundials

Materials

Limestone, Metal, Iron

19th Century English Reconstituted Stone Sundial
Located in Houston, TX
English Garden sundial on reconstituted stone. Metal sundial is loose.
Category

Mid-19th Century British Antique Sundials

Materials

Cast Stone

Midcentury Outdoor Painted Iron Stool
Located in Sheffield, MA
The outdoor stool is sturdy and made of tubular iron soldered together and painted.
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sundials

Materials

Iron

Midcentury Outdoor Painted Iron Stool
Midcentury Outdoor Painted Iron Stool
H 12 in W 16.25 in D 11.75 in
Swedish Atlas Armillary Sundial Mounted on Hand-Carved Antique Stone Plinth
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Swedish armillary of Atlas mounted onto stone plinth. This vintage Swedish armillary sundial is supported on the single arm of mighty Atlas, and is...
Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Sundials

Materials

Stone, Metal, Copper

Antique Terracotta Garden Armillary Sundial
Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire
Antique Terracotta Garden Armillary Sundial. This antique sundial made by Blanchard (stamped) is something to be admired with its sheer scale. The T...
Category

Late 19th Century English Neoclassical Antique Sundials

Materials

Steel

Antique Terracotta Garden Armillary Sundial
Antique Terracotta Garden Armillary Sundial
H 88.19 in W 29.14 in D 23.63 in
Large Armillary Sundial with Cast Iron Pedestal
Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire
Large Armillary Sundial with cast iron pedestal. A Victorian white painted, Cast Iron sundial pedestal. The column is cast with four eagles and leave...
Category

Late 19th Century Antique Sundials

Materials

Steel, Iron

Vintage Swedish Atlas Armillary Sundial Attributed to Sune Roth
By Sune Rooth
Located in Bochum, NRW
Vintage Original Sun Clock or Armillary Sun Dial attributed to Sune Rooth, mid-20th century. Antique garden ornament from Sweden, known as a Sun Clock or Armillary Sun dial, with a c...
Category

1940s European Art Deco Vintage Sundials

Materials

Copper, Wrought Iron

Antique Keuffel & Esser Co 141547 Surveyors Compass in Case w Wooden Tripod Base
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique Keuffel & Esser Co 141547 Surveyors Compass in Case with Adjustable Wooden Tripod Base. Circa Early to Mid 20th Century. Measurements: Case: ...
Category

Early 20th Century Victorian Sundials

Materials

Metal

Previously Available Items
Sun Dial on Column
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Sun Dial On Column
Category

1960s American Vintage Sundials

Oversized Garden Armillary of Bronze
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Armillary, of verdigris iron with brass arrow and accents, set upon Corinthian column plinth of cast concrete. (Keywords: Astrolab)
Category

1960s Vintage Sundials

Swiss Precision Armillary
Located in North Miami, FL
A Swiss Armillary having great decorative appeal as well as a usefull one This is a precision piece therfore is operational as a sundial.Piece is hand made and the original paperwork...
Category

1960s Swiss Vintage Sundials

Materials

Aluminum

Antique and Vintage Sundials

Although typically decorative, antique and vintage sundials transport a guest in your home to a different era, their simple function a tether to the ancient world.

Humans have tracked time since the dawn of civilization. Before the invention of precise mechanical clocks, various materials including water and incense were used to mark the passage of time. The sundial was one of the earliest of these timekeeping devices.

The oldest known sundial dates back to 1,500 B.C. in Egypt. The very first sundials were simple stone blocks with markings and a vertical needle of wood or metal to indicate the hours with its shadow. Later Greek sundials had a gnomon parallel to the axis of the Earth. Some flat sundials from the Islamic world were directional objects for pointing the way to Mecca.

Mechanical clocks use a series of gears and springs to track time precisely; sundials rely on light and shadow. As sunlight crosses over a sundial, it casts a shadow that moves across the face of the dial as the Earth rotates.

There are now more accurate, easier and probably cooler ways to tell time, yet the sundial persists. It is not uncommon to find flat stone sundials among an assemblage of decorative elements in colorful gardens and standing sundials in expertly appointed outdoor spaces.

While garden sundials are among the most popular sundials today, sundials made of metal, stone, bronze and more can be found on 1stDibs to match any taste or setting. The collection also includes sundials of Scandinavian, British and North American origins.

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