Home > Sand Hourglass. Hourglasses. Wood Hourglasses
Sand Hourglass. Hourglasses. Wood Hourglasses
Giving a beautiful gift of a sand hour glass
Simplicity and style make for a unique accessory
An hourglassis an enduring symbol. It’s an essential item from the past, but we still embrace the hourglass – whether we use it purely for ornamentation, for cooking, or for playing games.
An hourglass is an amazingly simple device. It’s made of two glass bulbs that are placed on top of one another. The bulbs are either connected by a thin tube, or there is a very small opening in each of the bulbs. Sand is placed in the top bulb, and as the sand runs completely into the bottom bulb, a certain amount of time elapses. The sand hourglass can be inverted so that the sand runs back into the bulb.
The amount of time that it takes for the sand to run from one globe to the next is determined by a number of factors: the volume of sand, the size of the globes, the opening between the two globes, and the texture of the sand. Typically, a smaller sand hourglass has smaller globes that hold less sand. So, these hourglasses may only measure a few minutes of time.
A sand hourglass can measure a variety of time, from as little as one minute to as much as an hour or more. In fact, there is the world’s largest hourglass, that measures one year of time, in Budapest Hungary. This hourglass is referred to as the Timewheel. Part time measurement, part sculpture, the timewheel is enormous, made of granite, steel and glass and weighs over 60 tons.
The hourglass is used to depict a variety of elements – when placed on its side, it resembles the sign for infinity, so the hourglass is frequently used in books, paintings, and sculptures. The hourglass has also been incorporated into one of the most frequently used tools – the computer. Microsoft Corporation uses the hourglass to symbolize that the computer is processing.
Today, we think of a sand hourglass as more of a decorative item than a practical item. You can certainly measure time with an hourglass, and quite accurately too. But part of the appeal of an hourglass is the beauty and simplicity of its design. Antique hourglasses are highly priced collector items.
Some of the most beautiful hourglasses are a combination of high quality wood and hand crafted glass globes. You’ll see incredible hourglasses of all sizes and shapes. These sand hourglasses make wonderful gifts. In fact, many people choose to add a special engraved plaque to an hourglass – it makes a beautiful retirement gift – especially for people that have plenty of time on their hands.
