Portland Stone Sundial c.1850

A wonderful and refined English Portland limestone hand-carved sundial. c.1850.
Carved in three-sections upon a large sized egg and dart plinth.
The main body's four sides are decorated with draping floral and fruit swags, the top crown has four Fleur-de-lis armorial shields.

Portland stone is a limestone formation from the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. It’s characterised by its white-grey appearance with small particles of shells and calcite forming small spheres or ooliths within the stone which give the stone a great resistance to weathering.
- one of the reasons it’s been used for monumental buildings such as St Paul’s Cathedral and the British Museum.

This rare and delightful sundial will add splendour to any garden.