Antique Brass Hourglass

A traditional sand timer in a turned brass frame with an antiqued finish, holding either violet or white sand between two blown glass bulbs. The 15 minute version stands about 18cm high on a 7cm base; the 30 minute runs a little larger at 21 by 8cm. Both are heavy enough in the hand to feel like instruments rather than ornaments.

A sand timer is a genuinely useful thing on a desk in a way a digital one is not: it measures a block of work without a screen, a notification or a sound at the end of it, and the falling sand gives a visible sense of how much of the block is left. The violet sand is the more striking of the two; the white reads quieter and more traditional.

The glass bulbs and the brass frame are both durable, but this is still glass on a hard base and it should be placed where it cannot be swept off a desk edge. Keep it out of reach of small children and pets, and never attempt to open a bulb. Polish the brass with a dry cloth; the antiqued finish will lift if a metal cleaner is used on it.

• Turned brass frame with antiqued finish
• Blown glass bulbs
• 15 minute (approx. 18 x 7cm) or 30 minute (approx. 21 x 8cm)
• Violet or white sand
• Dry polish only - do not use metal cleaner
• Keep out of reach of children and pets