About this piece
back to topA striking reclaimed Scottish red granite sundial pedestal topped with a bronze dial plate by Negretti and Zambra, circa 1880. This antique sundial is heavy and substantial, the red granite column topped with an ornately carved limestone capital above a weathered limestone base.
With its unusual red colour and timeworn look, this sundial will make a stunning statement piece in gardens and courtyards old and new alike.
The large bronze dial plate has also been characteristically weathered by the elements, though not so much that the maker’s mark is not visible, reading: ‘Negretti and Zambra, London’.
Negretti & Zambra
Negretti and Zambra (active 1850-1985) were one of Britain’s leading manufacturers of scientific, mathematical and surveying instruments.
Established in 1850 by fellow Anglo-Italians Joseph Warren Zambra and Enrico (Henry) Angelo Ludovico Negretti, the business first specialised in thermometers and barometers, exhibiting at the 1851 Great Exhibition. Here they were awarded a medal and caught the attention of several notable persons and organisations including Her Majesty Queen Victoria and the Royal Observatory, Greenwich.
Following the deaths of both founders at the end of the 19th century, the company remained in family hands and continued to innovate the market of metrological instruments.
During the early 20th century, the company played a major role in Britain’s war effort, working alongside the Ministry of Munitions between 1914-18. Their innovation and insights into early aviation resulted in a new focus on projects for the Air Ministry following WWI, later producing boost gauges and thermometers for the iconic Spitfire and fighters of WWII.
