This month we have a more modern structure for our ‘Sundial of the Month’. The Monumental Sundial which sits at the Museo Galileo in Florence, Italy. Restored quite recently in 2015, the Monumental Sundial was originally built in 2007 as a “mathematical ornament” for the museum. The large sculptural structure comprises of a large quadrant [Continue Reading]
Dials of Lycée – Louis-le-Grand, Paris, France
Perhaps the most delicate and decorative designs we’ve featured as our ‘Sundial of The Month’, the Lycee Louis-le-Grand school in Paris has one of its towers beautifully adorned with sundials. Situated in the Latin Quarter of Paris, the building was originally built in 1560. Some years later, in 1679, the courtyard tower was added complete [Continue Reading]
The Sundial Stone – Boyne Valley, Ireland
The Sundial Stone is one of the oldest sundials that we’ve featured on our website as ‘Sundial of the Month’. Discovered by American, Martin Brennen in the Boyne Valley in Ireland, the Sundial Stone measures just 18 inches and is believed to be over 5000 years old. The discovery of the ancient sundial by Brennen [Continue Reading]
The Kirkdale Sundial, Kirkdale, North Yorkshire
Embedded in the wall of Saint Gregory’s Church in Kirkdale, North Yorkshire, the Kirkdale Sundial is an ancient canonical sundial which dates to the mid 11th century. Interestingly, this sundial does not actually tell the time. Canonical sundials instead indicate the canonical hours, when members of the community must perform certain religious acts. These types of sundials are traditionally [Continue Reading]
Quitsato Sundial, Quitsato, Ecuador
The Quitsato Sundial is a spectacular design located at La Mitad Del Mundo (Middle of the World), 47 km North of Quito, in Ecuador. It is the only place where the Equator passes through a glacier, and is also at 8,130 feet it is the highest point of Equator. The sundial occupies an area of 2300m² and [Continue Reading]
Sundial, Boy with Spider – Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Sundial, Boy with Spider is located within the Oldfields Estate on the grounds of the Indianapolis Museum of Art in Indiana. Designed by American artist Willard Dryden Paddock and installed in 1917, at first glance, the striking bronze sculpture of a boy sitting cross-legged with an open scroll in his lap bears no resemblance to [Continue Reading]
A garden ready for a changing climate
RHS Chelsea Flower show is fast approaching, and after our Fantastic Mr. Fox display from 2016, we’re busy ensuring our stand for 2017 is just as brilliant. This year, we are drawing our inspiration from Nicole de Vesian’s famous garden at la Louve in Bonnieux (1986-1996). A former textile designer for Hermès, her elegant garden [Continue Reading]
Seven Dials Sundials, Covent Garden, London, UK
The Seven Dials Sundial, near Covent Garden, London is regarded as one of the city’s ‘great public ornaments’ and the layout and identity of the Seven Dials area revolves around it. Sitting proudly at the centre of the junction of seven London streets, the monument designed in 1693 by stonemason, Edward Pierce, was commissioned by [Continue Reading]
Ham Roman Sundial, Heraclium, Bay of Naples
Although we can’t be sure, it seems that the Romans were the first to make sundials purely for fun, and a perfect example of Roman frivolity is this portable sundial discovered in the Villa dei Papiri in Heracleum. Heraclium is on the Bay of Naples and was buried by 30m of ash during the eruption [Continue Reading]
The Jai Prakash Yantra
In this, my third critique of the Jantar Mantar, I talk about possibly the most beautiful of the instruments, the Jai Prakash Yantra – meaning ‘the light of Jai’. The Jai Prakash may well be Jai Singh’s most elaborate and complex instrument. It is based on concepts dating to C300 BCE, when the Greco-Babylonian astronomer [Continue Reading]