Sundials
1950s Swedish Vintage Sundials
Brass
Mid-18th Century English Georgian Antique Sundials
Stone, Limestone, Metal, Bronze
Early 18th Century European Louis XIV Antique Sundials
Slate
1950s British Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sundials
Stone
Late 18th Century French Antique Sundials
Slate
Late 18th Century French Neoclassical Antique Sundials
Sandstone
Early 20th Century English Georgian Sundials
Alabaster, Bronze
18th Century Italian Neoclassical Antique Sundials
Silver Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Sundials
Limestone, Metal, Iron
Late 19th Century English Neoclassical Antique Sundials
Steel
Late 19th Century English Antique Sundials
Sandstone, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Swedish Sundials
Stone, Metal, Copper
Late 19th Century Antique Sundials
Steel, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Sundials
Marble, Iron
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Sundials
Limestone
Mid-19th Century British Antique Sundials
Cast Stone
18th Century Italian Folk Art Antique Sundials
Linen, Fruitwood
Late 18th Century French Neoclassical Antique Sundials
Marble
17th Century Antique Sundials
Brass, Bronze
17th Century Antique Sundials
Brass, Bronze
18th Century British Neoclassical Antique Sundials
Bronze
Mid-18th Century Antique Sundials
Limestone, Marble, Bronze
Late 18th Century Antique Sundials
Slate, Sandstone
1950s Swedish Vintage Sundials
Multi-gemstone, Brass
15th Century and Earlier Spanish Medieval Antique Sundials
Sandstone
1950s English Rustic Vintage Sundials
Cast Stone
15th Century and Earlier Spanish Medieval Antique Sundials
Sandstone
16th Century European Antique Sundials
Slate, Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Neoclassical Antique Sundials
Slate
16th Century French Antique Sundials
Limestone
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.