Sundials
Late 18th Century French Neoclassical Antique Sundials
Sandstone
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Sundials
Limestone
19th Century French Baroque Antique Sundials
Plaster
18th Century European Antique Sundials
Stone
18th Century French Neoclassical Antique Sundials
Pewter
Late 18th Century French Neoclassical Antique Sundials
Marble
18th Century French Industrial Antique Sundials
Metal
1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Sundials
Metal
Late 18th Century French Neoclassical Antique Sundials
Wood
Mid-18th Century Italian Baroque Revival Antique Sundials
Oak
Late 18th Century French Neoclassical Antique Sundials
Creamware
18th Century Spanish Baroque Antique Sundials
Wood
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Sundials
Gold
Late 19th Century Antique Sundials
Stone, Steel
Late 19th Century British Antique Sundials
Stone
Late 18th Century Antique Sundials
Slate, Sandstone
15th Century and Earlier Spanish Medieval Antique Sundials
Sandstone
15th Century and Earlier Spanish Medieval Antique Sundials
Sandstone
Early 18th Century French Antique Sundials
Late 18th Century German Antique Sundials
Late 17th Century Portuguese Other Antique Sundials
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.