Armillary Sphere

David Harber’s fascination with space and the solar system inspired him to create the astronomically intriguing Armillary.

The Armillary Sphere is one of David Harber’s earliest and most appreciated works and is enjoyed throughout the world in a variety of settings. As well as being a fully functioning sundial, this handmade piece is crafted and calculated to a specific location making it a highly accurate time piece.

Variations & finishes

1. Stainless Steel

Mirror-polished stainless steel

2. Bronze

Bronze verdigris patina

3. Brass

Brass antique patina

4. Antique Bronze

Bronze with antique tan patina

The Armillary Sphere sundial is available in three sizes with larger sizes available on request.

Dimensions

The Armillary Sphere is available in a 70cm, 80cm or 90cm diameter, however other larger sizes are available on request.

Finishes and colours

The Armillary Sphere can be made from bronze (either antique tan or with a Verdigris patina applied), marine grade mirror-polished stainless steel or brass.

Model scale

70cm, 80cm or 90cm diameter
(Model scale: 180cm)

Design details

“The Armillary Sphere looks completely fabulous and we could not be more thrilled. You did a wonderful job installing it and it has already been much admired.”

Berkshire, England

Every Armillary is unique and tailored to you. Its made for your exact latitude and longitude to ensure accuracy; whether you want it installed in a city space in London, a Mediterranean garden in Europe, or contemporary landscape in Australia. You can also choose to have it personally engraved.

David Harber’s fascination with the history of science, space and the solar system inspired him to create the astronomically intriguing Armillary Sphere. Originally invented by the Greeks, the Armillary Sphere was used to observe the great circles of the heavens, calculate the sun’s movements and predict ecliptic events.

Bronze

As well as being strong and highly durable, a bronze Verdigris patina on an Armillary Sundial gives the impression of timelessness.

Additional embellishments like extra rings marking the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, the North and South Polar Circles, a calendar showing the progression of the months, and an arrowhead and tail can be incorporated.

Stainless Steel

Made from marine-grade stainless steel, these armillary spheres are mirror-polished to ensure high visibility and lifelong brilliance.

Additional features like a calendar, extra rings, or an arrowhead and tail can be added to this celestial sphere to create more functionality.

Brass

A lighter material than bronze, brass has a real sense of weight and a patina that matures well and darkens with age. It will look at home in a traditional English garden or a more contemporary outdoor space.

The classic features of the astronomical instrument: a calendar, an arrowhead and tail and more, can be added to brass armillary spheres.

Sundials are about time and place, the people that commission them and the sentiment they convey can be shared with future generations as an heirloom and message to pass through the ages.

Product information

As well as marking the equinoxes, a personalised sundial creates a beautiful gift to mark an important anniversary or memorialise a person. Dials can be engraved with words and phrases of personal resonance, such as mottos and quotations; family names and dates of birth; commissioning statements; house names with latitude and longitude; and the distances and direction to locations significant to the client.

The sphere has an equatorial band and can have rings representing the tropics of Cancer Capricorn, and the Polar Circle. An arrowhead and tail and a calendar band can be included to highlight a memorable date of the year.

To work as a functioning time piece, the Armillary should be in a position that benefits from direct sunlight throughout as much of the day as possible. If the Armillary is not being fixed to an existing plinth and David Harber are supplying one, the client must provide a suitable, level, concrete pad foundation for the plinth to be fixed to. The Armillary is fixed to the plinth with a resin fixed bolt and then aligned for it to read the correct time. Alignment requires sunlight, in its absence, clear instructions will be provided.

We can supply a variety of stone plinths at an additional cost, although these can also be sourced separately should a local stone, for example, be required.

Installation and delivery are included in the price for UK commissions and for overseas, shipping quotes can be obtained and charged at cost.

David Harber Armillary Spheres are neither lacquered nor coated. To clean them, we would suggest the use of warm water and a soft cloth. We do not recommend the use of metal cleaner as this may scratch and dull the surface. The stainless-steel variant can be best cleaned with glass cleaner and a soft lint-free cloth. Maintenance instructions will be issued on installation.

An Armillary Sphere brings pleasure to the passing of time. We use precision-engineered hoops of brass, bronze or mirror-polished stainless steel to model the positions of celestial bodies.

Invented by Greco-Roman astronomer Ptolemy nearly two millennia ago, the armillary sphere has been modelling the movements of the heavens ever since.

A series of rings, called armillaries, mark the movements of the sun on the celestial sphere as it crosses the earth, at any time of year. We set our Armillary Spheres to your exact geographical location to ensure an accurate reading. You can also add bespoke dates or anniversaries to mark important memories or remember loved ones.

To work as a functioning time piece, the Armillary should be in a position that benefits from direct sunlight throughout as much of the day as possible. If the Armillary is not being fixed to an existing plinth and David Harber is supplying one, you will need to provide a suitable, level, concrete pad foundation for the plinth to be fixed to. The Armillary is fixed to the plinth with a resin fixed bolt and then aligned for it to read the correct time. Alignment requires sunlight, in its absence, clear instructions will be provided.