Antique Sundials

33" (84cms) Height to top of pedestal

Plate 8" (20") Square

Price £220.00   Sale Price £140.00

20th Century  sundial in the form of a square tapering composition stone base surmounted by a square bronze plate inscribed "Tyme Pafses"

24" (61cms) Height to top of pedestal

Plate 6" (15cms) Square

Price   £150.00   (Ref: R/ 154.82a)   Sale Price £110.00

20th Century  sundial in the form of a square tapering composition stone base surmounted by a square bronze plate inscribed "PASSING AWAY"

24" (61cms) Height to top of pedestal

Plate 6" (15cms) Square

Price   £150.00   (Ref: R/ 154.82b)    Sale Price £110.00

Details of 19th and 20th Century sundial plates

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Example of a good quality engraved 19th Century bronze sundial plate

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Example of a 20th Century cast brass sundial plate

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Example of 20th Century cast brass Thomas Grice sundial plate

"Thomas Grice 1705  Seize the present moment the evening hour is nigh"

Brief history of Sundials

Although sundials have been in existence for over 2000 years they were not common place in England until the 17^th Century when vertical dials were regularly incorporated into the fabric of public buildings such as churches.

The custom of introducing of sundials in the form of stone sundial pedestals surmounted with engraved bronze or slate plates in private gardens began at the latter part of the 17^th Century. The early producers of sundial plates were originally clock makers such as  Hilkiah Bedford and Thomas Tompion. Garden sundials continued to be produced until the end of the 19^th Century  when the introduction of standard time in the form of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)  
together with affordable accurate clocks and watches brought about the demise of the sundial as a reliable means of  telling the time.
 

Throughout the 20^th Century up to the present time garden sundials have continued to be produced for primarily decorative purposes.

How can I tell if my sundial is a
17^th, 18^th or 19^th Century original or a later reproduction?

One of the questions most commonly raised to us is "I have an old sundial plate with a 17^th or 18^th Century date on it, is it genuinely of this age?"

Unfortunately there are numerous examples of sundial plates bearing what purport to be 17^th  and 18^th  Century dates such as "1661" or 1705" however these were massed produced during the 20^th Century. 
These spurious dates are confusing but as a simple guide the 20^th Century  reproductions tended to be made from cast brass with relatively poor definition  in the numerals and decoration together with mottos in Latin or English. 
Whereas the 17^th  to 19^th  Century originals would be have been true scientific instruments made from bronze, slate or copper with inscribed / engraved numerals and decoration normally together with the makers name and a latitude for where the sundial has been designed to be used.

In summary a bronze or slate sundial plate with engraved numerals and decoration together with a makers name is more likely to be an 18^th or 19^th Century original.  

Whereas a cast brass sundial plate with a "date" and motto (in Latin or English)
but without a makers name is more than likely to be a 20^th Century reproduction. 

A makers name however is not necessarily an indication of age since at the end of the 20^th Century a large quantity of reproduction brass sundials measuring 9.75" (25cm) diameter were cast with the details "Thomas Grice 1705  Seize the present moment the evening hour is nigh"

There are exceptions to these guidelines but we hope they help in determining the  age of sundial plates.

Adjacent are some images intended to help determine whether the sundial is a modern reproduction or a genuine original.

Old Park Farm, Abbey Road, Beech, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 4AP,
United Kingdom
UK Tel: 01420 560055 email:enquiries@jardinique.co.uk

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