Stationary horizontal sundial 1793

This unassuming horizontal sundial was crafted by Thomas Pipe, sometime between 1750 and 1850. The sundial bears witness to humanity's enduring quest to capture and comprehend time. At its heart, the sundial utilizes the sun's shadow, an ancient symbol of enlightenment but also the hidden, darker sides of life. Across cultures, the sun stands for life, while shadows often represent what is unknown. This dance of light and darkness is not new; we see it echoed in the chiaroscuro of Renaissance paintings, where light illuminates truth amidst shadows of ignorance. Consider the shadow’s psychological weight: it reminds us of mortality, the fleeting nature of our existence. Yet, paradoxically, by measuring time, the sundial confronts this ephemerality, giving form to the intangible, transforming anxiety into understanding. The sun and shadow, perpetually interacting, are a universal, cyclical concept, eternally intertwined.