Outdoor Sundial
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Sundials
Stone, Bronze
Early 20th Century English Georgian Sundials
Alabaster, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Sundials
Marble, Iron
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Antique Early 19th Century Italian Hellenistic Garden Ornaments
Marble
2010s Japanese Edo Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Benches
Bronze, Wrought Iron
Vintage 1940s Danish Art Deco Sofas
Fabric, Wood
20th Century European Renaissance Fountains
Limestone
Antique 17th Century French Panelling
Softwood
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile
2010s American Organic Modern Side Tables
Travertine
Antique 18th Century Italian Doors and Gates
Chestnut
Antique Early 1900s American Art Nouveau Architectural Elements
Bronze
2010s British Louis XVI Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
Antique Late 19th Century European Moorish Architectural Elements
Wrought Iron
Antique Early 19th Century French Charles X Architectural Elements
Stone, Copper
Antique 19th Century French Napoleon III Stairs
Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Paintings
Wood, Paint
Antique Late 17th Century Italian Baroque Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
Recent Sales
Antique 1890s French French Provincial Sundials
Slate, Metal
Vintage 1930s Unknown Classical Roman Sundials
Iron
Vintage 1930s American Sundials
Iron
Mid-20th Century Danish Sundials
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Sundials
Metal, Copper
Mid-20th Century Danish Sundials
Metal, Copper
Mid-20th Century Danish Sundials
Metal, Copper
Vintage 1920s American Scientific Instruments
Brass
Antique Mid-19th Century English Sundials
Bronze
Finding the Right sundials for You
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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