Clocks & Scientific Instruments

Efforts to tell time have helped drive the evolution of our technology and science throughout history. The Romans, Greeks and Egyptians created Sun Dials, Water Clocks and other chromatic tools to enable people to split day from night and gauge divisions in a day. Western Europeans adopted these technologies but the demand for more reliable timekeeping led medieval artisans to create the mechanical clock. Today’s highly accurate timekeeping devices are found in many devices with quartz crystal regulating their operation.

The Georgian period was significant in terms of the radical change of furniture and furnishings in England. This gave rise to many brilliant timekeeping and weather predicting devices being produced for the home, as it wasn’t only the wealthy who could afford watches, clocks and barometers. The Grandfather Clock for example relied on the weight driven iron clocks made in Europe, with the clock being wound for its day of activity by pulling down the ends of the chains which suspended the weights. By the end of the Commonwealth the pendulum had been introduced and in terms of barometers the transition between mercury and aneroid was a major step forward. The late 17th Century home often included a time piece or stick barometer of the period that was considered a work of art, created by the skill of a master craftsman and this skill has been passed down over the centuries through Victorian and Edwardian periods to the present day.

Please look through our Ceramics and Porcelain by clicking on any of the images below which of are interest to you. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if we can be of assistance.