aric snee develops contemplative hourglass for holmegaard

aric snee develops contemplative hourglass for holmegaard
all images © aric snee

hourglasses are arguably one of the earliest objects that had to be made of glass, since then the design has been almost completely untouched. traditionally, the artifact operates in a linear fashion, up and down or in some cases resting on its side to stop the clock. however, we now know that time is not linear. regardless of how little time is understood, we remain determined to measure it as accurately as possible. it’s akin to inventing a metronome without understanding what music is. 

manipulate the measurement of time by rotating and twisting the hourglass on its base 

designer aric snee–for danish glass factory holmegaard–wanted to visualize this lack of knowledge. the hourglass is precisely calibrated so when in full vertical orientation the glass measures exactly 15 minutes–or up to one hour depending on the size. however, the user can manipulate the angle and axis of the artifact, speeding up or slowing down the measurement of time. the deice becomes a symbol, a method by which to contemplate the idea of time rather than trying to calculate it correctly. the piece is handmade using borosilicate glass by holmegaard. 

designed for the contemplation of time rather than its measurement 

the clock is stopped by positioning the hourglass on it’s side

the object is handmade using borosilicate glass by holmegaard

viewers become active participants with the object and its meditative nature

for nearly 200 years, holmegaard has been distinguished among the best of danish glass design

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