M. FORD CREECH ANTIQUES & FINE ARTS

 

 

EARLY ENGLISH ENGRAVED BRONZE SUNDIAL
For Barnet, England, Late 17th / Early 18th Century

 


 

The square sundial with a central compass and directions
within an engraved circular band inscribed below foliate scrolls :
The hour unless the hour be bright
It is not mine to mark
I am the prophet of the light
Dumb when the hour is dark
F. Kolm . Barnet .

within a band of hours and minutes, the original gnomon with shaped supports;
Kolm, the maker, as yet untraced; Barnet is a borough of northern London

 

Note :
Sundials have been in use for more than 2000 years.
However, sundials did not come in to common use in England until the late 17th century.
Originally as time-tellers in public buildings and churches, they quickly made their way into private gardens,
where they usually rested on stately pedestals. Sundials were a dependable measure of time for many years.
When clocks and watches became more accurate and affordable later in the 18th century,
sundials still retained their place in the garden - however more for decorative purposes.

 

The majority of the sundials on today's market are from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Genuine scientific 17th and 18th century plates include a few major elements, the primary ones being
the material, the lattitude or town name for which the dial was calibrated, and the maker's name.
Early sundials were made of engraved bronze, while later copies were generally of brass, or recasts in bronze.
The details on recasts are softer - i.e. less crisp than the originals.
Reproductions and recasts often include an older date (as "1695", or "1753")
and a "saying", sometimes in Latin.
Authentic early sundials are a bit diffiult to find. Professional authenitication is always advised.

 

6" High x 10" Square

 

SOLD

 

#7028

 

Please Inquire

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ALSO SEE :

 
A George III Inlaid Mahogany Stick Barometer, England, c1770,
the signed silvered register with vernier sliding scale behind glazed door,
the mercury barometer behind a further glazed trunk door
43.5" High

 

 

 


 

 

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M. Ford Creech Antiques & Fine Arts / 581 South Perkins Road /  Memphis, TN 38117 / USA /  Wed.-Sat. 11-6, or by appointment

 


 

 

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Early English Engraved Bronze Sundial, Late 17th / Early 18th Century, for Barnet, England