Sundials
Late 19th Century English Antique Sundials
Sandstone, Bronze
Mid-19th Century British Antique Sundials
Cast Stone
Mid-20th Century Swedish Sundials
Stone, Metal, Copper
19th Century Scottish Antique Sundials
Sandstone
Early 20th Century English Georgian Sundials
Alabaster, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Sundials
Limestone, Metal, Iron
Late 19th Century English Neoclassical Antique Sundials
Steel
Late 19th Century Antique Sundials
Steel, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Sundials
Marble, Iron
2010s Indian Sundials
Aluminum, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Sundials
Stone, Limestone, Metal, Iron
Late 18th Century French Neoclassical Antique Sundials
Sandstone
1950s Swedish Vintage Sundials
Brass
1940s European Art Deco Vintage Sundials
Copper, Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Swedish Sundials
Metal
Mid-18th Century English Georgian Antique Sundials
Stone, Limestone, Metal, Bronze
Early 1900s Italian Antique Sundials
Bronze
19th Century English Other Antique Sundials
Stone, Metal, Iron
19th Century English Other Antique Sundials
Stone, Iron, Metal
Early 19th Century English Antique Sundials
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Sundials
Limestone, Iron
20th Century American Classical Sundials
Brass
20th Century English Sundials
Cast Stone, Composition, Metal, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Danish Sundials
Metal, Copper
20th Century English Sundials
Cast Stone, Composition, Metal, Bronze
20th Century European Sundials
Granite
1840s French Victorian Antique Sundials
Stone, Iron
Early 20th Century Danish 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.