European Hourglass

Timeline

1. 1351–1353Notre-Dame de Paris · FranceCathedrals and monasteries in Western Europe commonly used hourglasses to regulate prayer, scripture reading, and work periods. Hourglasses were usually set on wooden or metal stands, with durations ranging from the one-hour 'hour glass' to short glasses of a few minutes, serving as the standard timekeeping tool of ecclesiastical daily routine.
2. 1354–1357Port of Venice · ItalyMerchant ships in the Mediterranean and North Sea used hourglasses with compasses to estimate speed and distance, with crews taking shifts at the helm by the glass. Glass craftsmen in ports such as Venice and Genoa could make well-sealed double-bulb hourglasses, with different durations corresponding to different sailing tasks.
3. 1358–1360Florence · ItalyHourglass images appeared frequently in Italian painting by the mid-fourteenth century, symbolizing the passage of time and earthly impermanence. Contemporary documents record that hourglass making required carefully selected fine sand and calibrated flow rates, showing that Western Europe had developed relatively mature knowledge of hourglass manufacture and use.