A charming early 19th‑century pocket sundial in its original turned wooden case, designed as a compact traveller’s timekeeper long before wristwatches became common.
 
The circular paper dial is finely printed with an hour chapter in Roman numerals and radiating lines sits on a floating base which aligns with north, set with a fixed brass gnomon that casts the shadow to tell the time when aligned to north in sunlight. The whole dial sits beneath a domed glass crystal within a smooth lathe‑turned wooden body; the matching push‑fit lid protects the instrument when not in use and shows an attractive aged patina from handling.
 
Pocket sundials of this type were popular scientific novelties and useful travelling instruments in the 1800s, often described as the “portable clocks” of the time. Surviving wooden examples with intact printed roses and glass are not common today, making this a lovely piece for collectors of antique scientific instruments, navigation, horology or curiosities.
Condition: dial clean and fully legible; brass gnomon present; domed glass with minor surface marks; wooden case solid with honest wear, small marks and colour variation from age and use. 
 
This little sundial displays beautifully on a desk or in a cabinet of curiosities and would make an unusual gift for a surveyor, navigator, astronomer or history enthusiast.
 
Measures 4.2 x 2.7cm (1.65" x 1.06").