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1912.34.36

Sand-glass hourglass with metal stand and bell. [CAR 08/08/2008]

On display

1912.34.36

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Collection type
Object
Description
Sand-glass hourglass with metal stand and bell. [CAR 08/08/2008]
Cultural groups
English
Person
Maker Unknown Maker
Field collector Henry Balfour
PRM source Henry Balfour
Date / Period
Date made: Before 1912
Date collected
By 1912
Acquisition information
Donated: 30/08/1912
Materials and processes
Material Sand, Material Glass, Material Copper Metal, Material Iron Metal, Process Forged (Metal), Process Soldered, Process Cast, Process Blown
Dimensions
Width: max 70 mm, Height: max 143 mm
Object numbers
Accession number: 1912.34.36
Research and responses

A sandglass or sand-glass is presumably otherwise known as an hourglass. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hourglass: An hourglass, also known as a sandglass or sand timer, is a device for the measurement of time. It consists of two glass bulbs placed one above the other which are connected by a narrow tube. One of the bulbs is usually filled with fine sand which flows through the narrow tube into the bottom bulb at a given rate. Once all the sand has run to the bottom bulb, the device is inverted in order to measure another time period. Factors affecting the amount of time that the hourglass measures include: the volume of sand, the size and angle of the bulbs, the width of the neck, and the type and quality of the sand. Alternatives to sand that have been used are powdered eggshell and powdered marble. It is still in use, but typically only ornamentally or when a relatively approximate measurement of time is needed (for example in cooking or board games). For cooking and games the time period will be only a few minutes (for cooking eggs, a three minute timer is typical, hence the nickname eggtimer for three minute hourglasses). Today, hourglass collecting has become a niche but avid hobby for some, with elaborate or antique hourglasses commanding huge prices.

Search terms: Time, Food and Drink, Measurement, Time Reckoning Device, Food Accessory, Cooking Tool, Bell

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