Handcrafted Nautical Decor - Solid Brass Hour Glass Key Chain 6"

Though no one knows with any degree of certainty when the first hourglasses were created, evidence points to their creation in the times of ancient Greece and Rome, and perhaps even as far back as early Egypt. These wonderful brass keychains present the hourglass with a classic nautical theme as well as an intriguing history. First depicted in Lorenzetti’s frescoe Allegory of Good Government in 1338, the hourglass became a standard tool aboard ships, and later a frightening symbol. Out at sea the hourglass was depended upon as the most reliable method of telling time; with a constant rate of change, and hung like a lantern, the sway of ships did not affect its accuracy. With a design that harkens back to the early times of discovery, these solid brass key rings combine a working timepiece with the classical brass adornment of seafaring vessels.With the advent of the first mechanical clocks, circa 1500 AD, the hourglass began a transition to more of an ornamental piece, however legendary explorers such as Magellan were known to keep up to 18 hourglasses on ship to accurately mark the time of a voyage. Interestingly, using smaller hourglasses such as the ones affixed to this brass key ring, a ship’s rate of speed was able to be calculated. As a rope was let out behind the ship, with knots at constant intervals, the hourglass was used to determine how quickly the vessel was travelling, resulting in the now common terminology for nautical travel – knots. These practical uses aside, the symbolism of the hourglass came to represent vastly different ideologies. As an obvious symbol of the passage of time, many looked upon them as the representation of being between past and future. These tiny brass keychains can serve as a constant reminder that we must enjoy life while in every moment available to us. For pirates, however, this symbol took on a darker meaning. Raised on flags of the most feared pirates in the ocean the hourglass stood as a warning that the sands of time for everyone run out eventually, prompting fear in sailors the world across. Though these brass keychains are designed for a far more tranquil purpose, this fascinating history has lead to their creation, a little reminder of time itself, past, present, and future.