This sundial is an unusual piece: one side has an effigy of King Philip II of Spain and the other side is a sundial. The original piece, dated in the late 16th century, was made of bronze. It can be found in the British Museum of London.Between the 16th and 17th century, to reinforce the Spanish empire, Philip II patronize a variety of studies in astronomy, cartography and nautical astronomy at the renowned University of Louvain (Brussels, Flanders), and some of the most beautiful and precise scientific instruments were born there.