Sundials and Armillaries
WALL MOUNTED SUNDIALS AND ARMILLARIES HAVE ADORNED CLASSIC ITALIAN AND FRENCH EDIFICES FOR CENTURIES
The earliest Sundials known from the archaeological record are the obelisks (3500 bc) and shadow clocks (1500 BC) from ancient Egyptian astronomy. In roughly 700 BC, the old testament describes a sundial — the “dial of Ahaz”.
The Armillary is one of the most ancient of astronomical instruments. The spherical astrolabe is often placed on a pedestal and adorned by grotesque masks, acanthus leaves, scrolls and swags. In its’ simplest form, it consists of a ring fixed in the plane of the equator.