The Sandglass Book

Deeply philosophical and historical, The Sandglass Book is a keen exploration of how humanity perceives and measures the passage of time. Jünger reflects on the "quiet life" and meditative ambiance of the sandglass—a "modest servant" that aligns with the contemplative rhythms of intellectual and domestic life. The various essays traverse a broad cultural landscape, from the symbolic presence of sandglasses in Dürer's Renaissance engravings to the "true time" of ancient gnomonics and solar clocks used by the Chaldeans, Egyptians and Babylonians. This book invites readers to rediscover a more humane, "telluric" connection to the moments that shape our existence.

“The time of the sandglass lives within us all, not only in the days of childhood, in days spent in kindergarten, in vacation days, but also profoundly in our being. This time is different from the mechanical clock, and different from the solar clock. Maybe it deserves the trouble to be shown, just like how from bits and pieces of underground galleries barely walked, one obtains a rare mineral. Perhaps it will glitter in unusual crystals, or hide a healing power, or maybe it will simply satisfy our curiosity. It remains to be seen. “